What the after-hours price has to cover
- On-call pay: premium or overtime for the tech, and often a weekly on-call stipend.
- Travel at night: longer drives, no route density.
- Wasted trips: calls where the customer backs out at the door.
- The rotation itself: someone carrying the phone every night.
If your night fee doesn't cover these, every after-hours job quietly loses money even when it looks busy.
Flat fee or multiplier
| Model | Example | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat after-hours fee | $189, credited toward the repair | Easy to say, easy to say yes to | Doesn't scale with long jobs |
| Multiplier | 1.5x normal labour rate after 6pm | Scales with job size | Hard to quote on the phone |
| Fee + multiplier | $99 call-out + 1.5x labour | Covers both | Two numbers to explain |
For the phone, the flat fee wins: one number the caller can say yes to. You can still use a multiplier for the repair itself, quoted on site.
Test your number
Track two numbers for a month: how many emergency callers agree to the fee, and how many decline and book the morning instead. If nearly everyone agrees, you may be underpriced. If many decline real emergencies, the wording or the amount needs work. The Weekly Revenue Report shows both.
Last night: 3 emergencies · 3 fees agreed ($567) · 2 next-day bookings · 0 declined
What Josie does
- Emergency Fee Consent + Payment Link: States your after-hours fee and gets a clear yes before anyone is woken. Can text a payment link.
- On-Call Paging + Schedules: Calls your on-call tech with the details. Press 1 to accept. No answer? Next person, then you.
- Weekly Revenue Report: A 7am morning report and a Monday email in dollars: emergencies, fees agreed, jobs won back.
- For your trade: After-Hours Answering Service for Emergency Plumbers
Common questions
How much do plumbers charge for after-hours calls?
It varies widely by market. Most small companies use a flat after-hours fee, often credited toward the repair, or a multiplier on their normal labour rate. Price it to cover on-call pay, night travel and wasted trips.
Should the after-hours fee be credited toward the repair?
Crediting it makes the yes easier on the phone. Not crediting it protects margin on small jobs. Both work if stated clearly before dispatch.
What does HireJosie cost?
HireJosie is $29/month for 200 AI minutes, starting with a 7-day free trial — cancel before day 7 and you pay nothing. Pro is $79/month for 500 minutes, with $0.25/minute overage after that. Every feature is on every plan, and every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.