Water damage restoration: the caller is standing in water. Somebody needs to pick up.

Why a missed call costs more here than almost anywhere

In 99 Calls' campaign data, the average water damage lead on Local Services Ads cost $215.31 in April–June 2026, up from $171.64 a year earlier. That was the highest of the 13 categories in its table, and more than three times its plumbing average of $66.17 (99 Calls; agency data, not a Google price). HomeGuide's consumer guide puts typical restoration jobs at $2,000 to $6,000, with a range from $150 to $100,000 (HomeGuide).

Google's "How leads work" page says a valid lead can be generated when "you missed a phone call during your business hours and the customer stays on the line for more than 20 seconds," and that a business-hours call answered by voicemail or a greeting "is treated as a connected call." The page applies to Local Services Ads generally and lists no exception for this category.

A homeowner with water coming through the ceiling doesn't leave a voicemail and wait. They call the next listing. When that happens, you may have paid for the lead and lost the job.

What KeptRing asks a water damage caller

One question at a time, then a read-back. You can change any of these during setup.

1. Is water still coming in right now?

   If yes, it asks whether they know where the main shutoff is. It doesn't walk anyone through plumbing repairs. Active water is marked urgent at the top of your email.

2. Is there water near outlets, cords, or the electrical panel?

   If so, it tells the caller to stay out of the wet area and not touch anything electrical. Ready.gov's flood guidance says: "Do not touch electrical equipment if it is wet or if you are standing in water." If there's sparking or a burning smell, the caller is told to get out and call 911.

3. Where is the water coming from?

   A supply line, an appliance, the roof, ground or storm water, or a toilet or sewer backup. Your project manager uses this to judge the category of water before calling back. The assistant doesn't classify it.

4. How long has it been wet, and what's affected?

   Rooms, floors, ceilings, and whether there's carpet, hardwood, or drywall. It also asks whether a ceiling is sagging, and if so tells the caller to stay out from under it.

5. Do you own the property? Is anyone else involved?

   Owner, renter, landlord, or property manager, plus the unit above or below if there is one.

6. Have you contacted your insurance company?

   It records the answer only. It never says whether something is covered and never promises to work with any insurer. That's your call to make.

7. Best callback number and address

   It reads the number back to confirm it, then asks for the full service address and any gate or access notes.

What the assistant won't do on these calls

• Tell anyone a job is covered by insurance, or quote a price or deductible.
• Promise an arrival time. Your dispatcher confirms it.
• Give mold or health advice, or tell a caller a space is safe to stay in.
• Claim to be a person. Every call opens with your company name and a statement that it's an automated assistant and the call may be recorded.

Our public demo line plays a fictional heating and plumbing company. Your line gets a script written for your trade, and you hear and approve it before anything goes live. Free 14-day pilot, then $249/month per line if you keep it ($197/month locked in for our first 10 paying clients). No card to start, month-to-month, cancel anytime. Lead summaries arrive by email after each answered call. Texting isn't live yet; after carrier registration is approved, only callers who say yes on the call will get a text.