CogentIntelligence
AI agents for trades and home services
You're on a job when the phone rings, and on the sofa when the quotes get written. Cogent answers enquiries while you work, drafts quotes from your price list and chases what you're owed, with you approving anything that matters.
01Where the week goes
We work with plumbers, electricians, heating engineers, builders, roofers and kitchen and bathroom fitters. The details differ from firm to firm, but the same few jobs come up on almost every discovery call:
- Missed enquiries. Calls and web forms arrive mid-job. By the time you ring back, they've booked someone who answered.
- Quotes written at night. Every quote means digging out measurements, photos and last year's prices, usually after a full day on site.
- Chasing money. Invoices go overdue and chasing them is awkward, so it slips until cash gets tight.
- Supplier and diary juggling. Orders, deliveries and site visits live in texts, emails and your head.
None of these need your expertise. They need doing quickly, the same way every time, and that's exactly the kind of work AI agents do well, with your Business Map telling them how your business runs.
Key idea
The job that wins work is the first reply. Most trades lose it because they're busy doing the work.
02Agents built for trades and home services
These are the agents we most often switch on first in this sector. Each one reads your second brain, works around the clock and asks you before anything that matters.
- Trigger
- A call, web form, Checkatrade or Facebook message
- Does
- Replies in minutes, asks your qualifying questions (postcode, job type, photos) and offers survey slots
- Asks you
- Before it sends, and on any price or complaint
- Trigger
- Survey notes or photos land in your inbox or job app
- Does
- Builds the quote from your price list, labour rates and materials, and attaches it to the customer record
- Asks you
- Always, before any quote goes out
- Trigger
- An invoice goes overdue in Xero or QuickBooks
- Does
- Sends polite reminders on your schedule and logs every reply
- Asks you
- Before a final reminder or if a customer disputes it
Your first agent is the one with the highest score on your discovery call, not the one on the top of this list. Most firms add a second and third over the following months.
03Ask your business anything
Because every agent writes to the same memory, you can ask questions in plain English that used to mean an afternoon in spreadsheets and inboxes.
YouWhich quotes over £3k are still waiting on a reply?
CogentFour, worth £18,400. The Hartley kitchen has waited 9 days. Shall I draft a follow-up?
YouWhen did we last service the boiler at 14 Elm Road?
Cogent11 November last year. Annual service is due next month. The customer prefers mornings.
04Your Monday briefing
At 7am every Monday you get a short briefing built from your own tools: what came in, what's stuck and what changed.
05Find your peak
On the call we score every repeating job by hours a week × how easy it is to hand off (1 hard, 2 medium, 3 easy). The highest score gets built first. Here's how a typical list might look.
| Job | Hours a week | Ease | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replying to new enquiries | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| Writing quotes | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| Chasing unpaid invoices | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Booking and confirming surveys | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Ordering materials | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Example · dummy data. Score = hours a week × ease.
In this example, replying to new enquiries is the peak. Run your own numbers with the calculator on our home page, or bring them to the call.
06Where approvals sit
Every agent starts on a short lead. Here's a typical starting point for this sector. Yours is written into your Business Map.
Does alone
- Reading and labelling enquiries
- Drafting replies and quotes
- Updating job notes and the diary
Asks first
- Anything sent to a customer
- Any price, quote or invoice
- Changes to a booked job
Never
- Promising a start date you haven't confirmed
- Agreeing a discount
Gas Safe, NICEIC and building-control paperwork stays with you. Agents can prepare the documents, but certificates and compliance sign-offs always wait for a qualified person.
07Works with the tools you already use
We connect to what you have rather than asking you to move. Common tools in this sector include Gmail or Outlook, Google or Outlook calendars, Xero, QuickBooks, Tradify, ServiceM8, Jobber, Fergus, Checkatrade and MyBuilder messages, WhatsApp Business and Facebook. If a system has no integration, a Portal Operator agent can work it the way a person would.
08Questions
Can AI answer enquiries for my plumbing or building business?
Yes. An Enquiry Responder replies to web forms, emails and messages in minutes, asks your qualifying questions and offers survey times. While approvals are on, every reply waits for your tap before it goes.
Can AI write quotes for tradesmen?
It can draft them. The Quote Drafter builds a quote from your price list and survey notes, but nothing goes to a customer until you've checked and approved it.
Will it work with Tradify, ServiceM8 or Jobber?
Usually, yes. Most job management apps connect directly. If one doesn't, a Portal Operator agent can work it the way a person would.
Is it worth it for a one-person trade business?
Often it's sole traders who gain the most, because every hour of admin is an hour off the tools. The free call tells you whether your numbers stack up.