In the early days of your painting company, a basic business number might’ve been enough to handle customer communication. But if your business is quickly growing, it’s become a lot harder to stay on top of customer calls, potential leads, and follow-ups.
A dedicated business phone system can prevent you from painting yourself into a corner. With it, your office staff and painters can stay connected from anywhere.
You’re busy, so we’ve rounded up the best phone systems for painting contractors and businesses. You can also use our side-by-side chart to compare prices, features, and drawbacks at a glance.
Comparing the best phone systems for painting contractors and businesses
Here’s a quick look at how each phone system for painting contractors and businesses stacks up:
| Provider | Starting price | Unlimited calling to the US & Canada | SMS/MMS to US & Canada | Shared numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quo | $15 per user per month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| RingCentral | $20 per user per month | ✓ | 25 texts per user per month | Calls only, shared SMS inbox requires add-on |
| Grasshopper | $14 per month | ✓ | MMS messaging for local numbers only | Requires upgrade |
| Nextiva | $15 per user per month | ✓ | 100 texts per user per month | Calls only, shared SMS inbox requires upgrade |
| Dialpad | $15 per user per month | ✓ | 250 texts per user per month | ✓ |
| Zoom Phone | $10.50 per user per month | Requires upgrade | ✓ | Calls only, shared SMS inbox requires Power Pack add-on |
| Vonage | $13.99 per user per month for up to four users | ✓ | Local US and Canadian numbers only | Shared line appearance only |
| Google Voice | $17 per month for an individual plan | Unlimited calls to Canada from the US only | US customers only | Requires upgrade, ring groups only |
Now, let’s start with the #1 business phone system as rated by G2:
1. Quo: Best for businesses that want to scale
Quo is a business phone system for painting contractors and businesses that want to avoid leaving money on the table. We use VoIP technology so you can communicate with customers over an internet connection. That way, you can make and receive calls and texts through your tablet, computer, or an app on your phone. It also means you can call and text from anywhere using WiFi or mobile data.
Every Quo plan lets you make unlimited calls in Canada and the US. You can also tell if an incoming call is work-related or personal with Quo’s call notifications. That way, you and your contractors know how to answer each incoming phone call.
Here’s why fast-growing painting contractors and businesses rely on Quo:
- Handle communications with your team. Split responsibility for customer conversations using shared phone numbers. That way, every member of your number can handle calls, texts, and voicemails from their preferred devices. If the phone rings while you’ve got both hands on a power roller, for example, someone else on your team can step in so you don’t lose potential painting contracts.
- Pick up the phone 24/7. With Quo’s contractor answering service, you can take incoming calls whenever your team can’t get to the phone or is done for the day. This AI voice agent, called Sona, answers FAQs, takes messages for callbacks, and can text callers links. Plus, you can test Sona with demo calls before you go live to ensure it performs as expected.
- Automatically reply to homeowners. If an answering service doesn’t make sense for your team, you can use SMS auto-replies to automatically respond to missed calls, voicemails, and texts. This sets expectations so customers know you’ll get back with them soon, reducing the chance that they’ll hire someone else.
- Send photos and videos to coworkers and customers. MMS support lets you send and receive pictures, videos, links, and PDFs. For example, you might send videos showing the condition of walls, ceilings, or exterior surfaces. This makes it easier to accurately measure labor costs before quoting customers.
- Record calls and store context. With Quo, you can capture call recordings on demand or automatically. Each recording lives inside your customer’s contact thread, so you can easily retrieve context in case of confusion or legal disputes.
As your business grows, you can integrate Quo with field service management solutions like Jobber. Plus, connect other contractor apps via Zapier and Make. For example, you might automatically send homeowners job reminders and arrival details via Jobber. This ensures your painting crew doesn’t show up to an empty house.
You can also use Quo’s Zapier integration to automatically send messages when you’ve scheduled a new painting job in Housecall Pro. That way, customers instantly get a confirmation without you or anyone on your team needing to manually follow up.
Another way to use Quo’s Zapier integration is to automatically send a follow-up message when a new customer is added to ServiceTitan. Since most homeowners reach out to multiple contractors at once, improving your speed to lead can be the difference between winning and losing the job.
These AI contractor features, among many others, help home service businesses grow and build better relationships with their customers. This includes brands like Waterloo Turf, which scaled its artificial turf franchise to more than 32 territories by switching to Quo.
No need to take our word for it, though. See for yourself; sign up today for our free seven-day trial and see why fast-growing painting contractors rely on Quo to grow their businesses.
Key features of Quo
- Shared numbers and inboxes
- Auto-replies
- Scheduled messages
- Call routing
- AI receptionist
- CRM integrations
- Call recording
- Call transcriptions and summaries
Quo pricing
Every Quo pricing plan was designed to grow alongside your business.
Pick from one of three tiers:
- Starter: $15 per user per month for unlimited domestic calling, voicemail transcripts, Quo API, business hours, internal threads, and more
- Business: $23 per user per month for phone menus, AI call summaries and transcripts, group calling, custom ring orders, CRM integrations, automatic call recording, live chat support, and call transfers
- Scale: $35 per user per month for AI call tags, dedicated onboarding, inbound phone support, and priority chat and email support
2. RingCentral: Best for desk phones
RingCentral is an older VoIP provider that supports traditional desk phones. It could be a great phone system for your painting business if you have a physical office and aren’t ready to give up old-fashioned equipment yet. Each plan comes with unlimited domestic calls in Canada and the US — but only if you use local numbers. It also supports on-demand call recording. This is useful if you want to capture some conversations, but not others.
But you should know RingCentral’s SMS is very limited. For example, on the base plan, you’re capped at 25 messages per user per month. You’ll also need to pay an extra $25 per user per month to access the shared SMS inbox. Otherwise, customer texts stay tied to one person’s phone instead of being visible to the whole team. So if that person is busy on a job, it’s easier to miss estimate requests or availability questions because nobody else can jump in and reply.
Plus, all call recordings are deleted after 90 days, no matter how much you upgrade. This could be a problem if you get a customer complaint and find yourself in a he-said-she-said conversation.
Want a local vanity phone number to help your painting business look established? Expect to pay a one-time setup fee of $30, then $4.99 per month. Compared to competitors like Quo that don’t charge one-time setup fees, this could be an exorbitant cost just to get your number set up.
Thinking about trying toll-free instead? You should know RingCentral doesn’t offer unlimited minutes for toll-free or vanity numbers. The base plan comes with just 100 toll-free minutes pooled between everyone on your account. So if you want to use a number like 1-800-PAINT-NOW, you’ll have to pay $34.99 to get started, then upgrade for additional minutes.
Key features of RingCentral
- Three-way calling
- IVR with multi-level auto attendants
- Call recording
- Call transfers
- Shared lines
RingCentral pricing
Depending on the bandwidth you need, you can pick from the following RingCentral pricing plans:
- Core: $20 per user per month for 25 texts, 100 toll-free minutes, and video meetings with up to 200 participants
- Advanced: $25 per user per month for 100 texts, 1,000 toll-free minutes, voicemail transcriptions, integrations with CRMs, and automatic call recordings
- Ultra: $35 per user per month for 200 text messages, 10,000 toll-free minutes, device analytics, and unlimited storage with retention periods
- Customer Engagement Bundle: Access to the Business SMS Booster and the Call Queues Booster add-ons, which offer features like shared texting and company reply templates
Want access to RingCentral’s shared texting without the most expensive plan? You’ll have to purchase an add-on starting at $25 per user per month.
3. Grasshopper: Best for multi-digit phone extensions
Grasshopper is a virtual phone system designed for solo users or very small teams. It offers unlimited calls and texts to the US and Canada. Plus, upgraded plans let you create additional virtual phone number extensions. This lets you route calls to specific people or departments from your main business number.
But while Grasshopper has gained thousands of users over the last 20 years, it’s not necessarily the best choice for painting businesses. Its features are limited, which has led many to search for Grasshopper alternatives.
For one thing, Grasshopper doesn’t offer any third-party integrations. That means there’s no way to automatically sync call transcripts or other call activity into tools like Jobber. So any painters you have in the field won’t be able to quickly access context while managing jobs on the go. You should also know that:
- The number of phone numbers you get depends on the plan. After that, you’ll pay $9 per number per month — which is almost twice the cost of Quo’s.
- Call recording isn’t available on the base plan. This might force you to upgrade plans before you feel ready.
- Grasshopper doesn’t offer scheduled texts. That means painters can’t easily queue a text to send the next day if they’re working that evening.
Key features of Grasshopper
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail-to-email
- Phone menu IVR, with an upgrade
- Extra number extensions, with an upgrade
- Simultaneous call handling, with an upgrade
Grasshopper pricing
Pick from one of three Grasshopper pricing plans:
- True Solo: $14 per month for one user, one phone number, and one extension
- Solo Plus: $25 per month for unlimited users, one phone number, three extensions, auto-attendant, simultaneous call handling, and call recording
- Small Business: $55 per month for unlimited users, four phone numbers, and unlimited extensions
4. Nextiva: Best for omnichannel messaging
Nextiva is a VoIP provider that lets you call, message, and video chat with clients. You can route calls using its IVR auto-attendant so you’re not interrupted in the middle of a painting job. You can also integrate with tools like Google Reviews, which lets you respond to customer reviews inside Nextiva. Plus, you can use Nextiva’s mobile app to call and text clients without giving out your personal number.
But speaking of texts, you should know Nextiva doesn’t offer an unlimited amount. You only get 100 SMS messages per user per month on the base plan.
Want to use a shared SMS inbox? Prepare to upgrade to the Engage plan, which costs $25 per user per month. Even call recording requires an upgrade, making it harder to review project details discussed during calls as your painting business grows.
Key features of Nextiva
- Text messaging support
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Social media integrations, like Facebook and WhatsApp
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
- Team chat for collaboration
Nextiva pricing
Here’s what to expect from Nextiva’s pricing:
- Core: $15 per user per month for voice calls, 100 text messages, voicemail transcriptions, team chat, and mobile app access
- Engage: $25 per user per month for 500 SMS messages, 2,000 toll-free minutes, advanced reporting, digital fax, call recording, and access to the Microsoft Teams integration
- Power Suite: $75 per user per month for skills-based routing and call transcriptions and summaries
5. Dialpad: Best for outbound sales
Dialpad is a VoIP provider that offers a multi-level auto attendant on all its plans. This feature lets you create nested menus — like offering painting services in different regions as you grow. You’ll also be able to use call sentiment on its Sales and Support plans. That way, you can keep an eye on how reps handle calls and spot coaching opportunities.
But if you want to buy additional numbers with Dialpad, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro plan, which costs $25 per user per month. You also need to upgrade for its Zapier integration. Otherwise, you can’t automate customer follow-ups, such as sending payment confirmation texts from apps like ServiceTitan. That can hurt the customer experience, making it harder to get repeat business and referrals.
Last but not least, Dialpad SMS only includes 250 messages per user per month. If you send more than that, it’ll cost $0.008 per outbound SMS message, and $0.024 per outbound MMS. This isn’t ideal for small and growing teams, especially when competitors like Quo offer unlimited SMS and MMS messages on any plan.
Key features of Dialpad
- Multi-level auto attendant
- Unlimited video meetings
- SMS, MMS, and team messaging
- Zapier integrations, with an upgrade
- Additional numbers, with an upgrade
Dialpad pricing
Here’s a current breakdown of Dialpad’s pricing plans:
- Standard: $15 per user per month for three ring groups, unlimited calls in the US and Canada, instant messaging for teams, one office location, and 250 outbound text messages
- Pro: $25 per user per month for 25 ring groups, additional numbers, Zapier integration, 10 office locations, and hold queues
- Enterprise: Get a custom quote for unlimited ring groups, unlimited office locations, and 99.9% uptime
6. Zoom Phone: Best for Zoom users
Zoom Phone can tack onto existing Zoom accounts so painting contractors and businesses can manage calls, texts, and video meetings on the same platform. It offers call routing features, like holiday and business hours routing and shared call appearance, on the base plan. This can help you manage high call volumes during the busy seasons of spring and summer.
That said, Zoom Phone’s base plan doesn’t offer unlimited outbound domestic calling. Plus, shared inboxes require the Zoom Phone Power Pack add-on, which costs an extra $25 per user per month. This makes it harder to get shared visibility into customer conversations. In a worst-case scenario, it might result in missed quote requests or contractors showing up at the wrong job site.
Key features of Zoom Phone
- Support for SMS and MMS messages
- AI call summaries
- Unlimited calls in the US and Canada, with an upgrade
- Voicemail transcripts, with an upgrade
- Integration with Zoom video meetings, with an upgrade
Zoom Phone pricing
Zoom Phone’s pricing is more complicated than its sales page lets on. Here’s what to expect from each of its plans:
- US & Canada Metered: $10.50 per user per month for pay-as-you-go calling, SMS and MMS support, and AI post-call summaries
- US & Canada Unlimited: $16 per user per month for unlimited domestic calling and voicemail transcriptions
- Global Select: $25 per user per month for unlimited calling in more than 40 countries and territories and direct dial numbers
- Pro Plus: $20.50 per user per month for everything in Unlimited plus Zoom Workplace Pro, which includes 30 hours per meeting and one personal booking page
- Business Plus: $24.50 per user per month for everything in Unlimited and Zoom Workspace Business, which includes 300 participants per meeting and unlimited booking pages
7. Vonage: Best for video conferencing
Vonage is a video conferencing and business phone system for painting contractors and businesses. It’s compatible with smartphones, desktops, tablets, and browsers. This helps teams stay connected with customers while moving between job sites throughout the day.
While Vonage offers on-demand call recording, you’ll need to upgrade to the most expensive plan to access it. The price starts at $27.99 per user per month for up to four users. The same goes for call groups, which let you route calls to different employees or departments. Without them, you’re more likely to miss inbound calls if you’re unavailable or busy during the spring and summer seasons when demand picks up.
One final thing to keep in mind: Vonage charges more fees than other competitors. For example, if you need more than 15 hours of on-demand call recording, you’ll need to pay an extra $19.99 per month . This can make it difficult to scale your painting business.
Key features of Vonage
- Unlimited domestic calling
- SMS and MMS support
- 20+ third-party integrations, with an upgrade
- Desk phone compatibility, with an upgrade
- Visual voicemail, with an upgrade
Vonage pricing
The cost of Vonage depends on the size of your team. The fewer team members you have, the more you’ll pay per user.
Here’s a quick rundown of Vonage’s pricing for a team of one to four users:
- Mobile: $13.99 per line per month for access to the mobile and desktop apps, SMS and MMS, and voicemail
- Premium: $20.99 per line per month for unlimited video meetings with up to 100 participants, integrations with IP desk phones, and team messaging
- Advanced: $27.99 per line per month for call groups, visual voicemail with transcription, and up to 15 hours of on-demand call recording
8. Google Voice: Best for existing Google Workspace users
Google Voice is a starter business phone system for painting contractors and businesses that don’t plan to scale. It offers a free version for personal use and paid business plans that let you add more than one user. It also offers Analog Telephone Adapter, or ATA, support, which is useful if you still work in traditional offices and need to connect your desk phones to the internet.
But Google Voice has many limitations that other business phone systems for painting contractors and businesses simply don’t. For example:
- There’s no way to send video files. This can slow down jobs if crews find unexpected issues, such as water damage behind a wall, and need to send context to a manager or customer.
- You won’t have access to texting automations like snippets, auto-replies, and scheduled texts. Without them, your team may forget to send important reminder texts that can save time. For example, homeowners may not know or forget to prepare rooms in advance for painting.
- Calls, texts, and voice messages live in separate folders. This can slow your team down when a homeowner calls asking about paint colors or project timelines discussed in earlier conversations.
You should also know Google Voice requires you to upgrade multiple times for basic features. Automatic call recording, for example, is only available on Google Voice’s most expensive plan. This can create problems when clients make requests over an unrecorded call that a team member forgets to document.
Key features of Google Voice
- Integrations with Google Workspace, like Gmail and Google Calendar
- Unlimited calls in the US and Canada
- Voicemail transcriptions
- Three-way calling
- Call recording
Google Voice pricing
Here’s what you can expect for Google Voice pricing:
- Starter without Workspace: $10 per month for one user, call recording, voicemail transcription, mobile and web apps, and three-way calling
- Starter: $10 per user per month for up to 10 users, calls and texts in the US, SLAs, and call forwarding
- Standard: $20 per user per month for ring groups, phone menus, and on-demand call recordings
- Premier: $30 per user per month for advanced reporting and automatic call recordings
Keep in mind that every plan beyond Starter without Workspace requires a Google Workspace subscription. This starts at $7 per user per month. That means the lowest you can pay for a multi-member team is $17 per user per month.
What features to look for in a phone system for painting contractors and businesses
Here are seven features to look for in a phone system for painting contractors and businesses:
- Keep homeowners updated with business SMS and MMS. Text payment reminder messages, invoices, and before-and-after photos from your business number. No need to call your customers with every question or job update.
- Split responsibility for incoming calls. Let painters, estimators, and office staff answer calls from the same business number. That way, there’s always someone around to pick up the phone, reducing the chance that potential clients will move on to a competitor.
- A business number your crew can answer anywhere. With a VoIP phone system, your team can answer calls from anywhere with WiFi or mobile data. This lets them get back to customers quickly while at a job site or on the road.
- IVR menus that guide callers to the right destination. Let callers route themselves to the right person or department without involving your front desk staff. You can also share valuable information via recorded audio messages. For example, you might share your business hours, service areas, and wait times for painting jobs.
- After-hours answering that helps capture more leads. Automatically answer calls, take messages, and collect lead information after hours with an AI voice agent. That way, you avoid missing calls and leaving money on the table.
- Save time with AI call summaries and transcriptions. Quickly review customer conversations without needing to listen back to entire recordings. You don’t need to drop everything you’re doing to take notes while answering calls on a job site. You’ll be able to review action items later so you don’t miss important details.
- Connect your phone system with third-party apps. Connect with the painting contractor software you already use, like Jobber. That way, when a client calls your Quo business phone number, for example, AI-generated call summaries and transcripts will sync to the correct customer record in Jobber.
Quo: The best phone system for painting contractors and businesses
Quo is the best phone system for painting contractors and businesses that want to grow by building stronger customer relationships. You can use our VoIP phone system on the devices you already own. Then customize your number to capture more leads and serve customers faster — without forcing you to be “always on” when you’re off the clock.
Here’s how Quo helps painting contractors and businesses manage customer communications from anywhere:
- Create shared business phone numbers or assign separate numbers to everyone on your painting crew.
- Automatically store and organize conversations with call recordings, AI call summaries, and transcripts in one shared inbox.
- Answer the phone 24/7 with Sona, our AI voice agent, so your leads don’t check out competitors when you’re busy or out for the day.
- Sync every customer conversation to platforms like HubSpot and Jobber.
See why Quo is the best phone system for painting contractors by signing up for a seven-day free trial.
