Google is allowing home service businesses to accept bookings and quote requests generated by AI Mode via Partner Platforms such as the Marketplaces (Angi & Thumbtack) and Field Service Software providers (Housecall Pro & Jobber). On X Wednesday, Google Search Product VP, Robby Stein made a statement regarding the changes and stated that this product is available now in the U.S.
For a plumber or cleaning company, the way in is its field service software or marketplace account. Jobber says its eligible U.S. customers can take those requests now with no lead fees. Housecall Pro also says there are no lead fees, though its release says its integration is coming soon.
What Google Announced
Stein wrote:
Today, we’re making it even easier to research & book home services with direct links in AI Mode through partners like @angi_home @thumbtack @housecall & @GetJobber (and @ServiceTitan coming soon). It’s available now in the U.S.
In the video posted, a searcher is asking to get a handyman to come by and build a bed and dresser the next day. AI Mode identifies local handyman services with online availability along with other service providers who are able to provide a quote. The listing of each service provider includes their rating along with a brief description of what they do. The first of these listings also lists two available times for an appointment.
In May at Google’s I/O conference, Google announced plans to roll out its agentic booking experience to cover additional types of local experiences & services, including direct links to finish booking with the provider. At that same event Google stated that users will be able to ask Google to call businesses for them (in areas such as home repair, beauty & pet care) and that both features would be rolled out nationwide this summer. On Wednesday, Google announced links to named partner companies providing access to booking Home Services.
How Businesses Get In On Each Platform
Jobber announced this week that eligible customers in the United States can be found and booked using AI Mode. According to Jobber’s Help Page, there are certain requirements for businesses to appear in AI Mode. The business must have an active and paid Jobber subscription, a full address listed in Jobber and a Google Business Profile connected to Jobber (listed at the same location), and the business must have assigned a request or booking form to Google, and Jobber defaults to connecting these forms to Google. Trial subscriptions cannot appear in AI Mode.
Once Google identifies a matching profile, a “Book Online” button appears on the business’s Google Business Profile with a link directly to the business’ Jobber booking form. Most times Google will find a match within a few days as stated in the help page.
Requests and bookings made through AI Mode come into Jobber just like another online booking would. There is no lead fee associated with these bookings and they follow the schedule and availability that the business has established. For assessment bookings, they are automatically confirmed by Jobber unless the business has turned on an approval feature that allows them to accept or decline each one individually before it is confirmed. In announcing the integration, Jobber CEO Sam Pillar explained that he believes his company should assist professionals in showing up when customers use AI to search “while keeping ownership of the customer relationships they’ve worked hard to build.”
Housecall Pro states that all of its users will be able to show up in AI Mode at no additional charge. When a Homeowner makes a request, it will be sent to the selected Professional’s Housecall Pro account inbox. Co-Founder & Chief AI Officer of Housecall Pro, Roland Ligtenberg describes it as “One request, one Pro, no lead fee, no bidding war.”
According to Housecall Pro’s Partner page, every one of Housecall Pro’s Professionals are auto-enrolled in AI Mode without having anything to do on their part. The available time slots will be pulled from the Professional’s Calendar, and according to the partner page, no Google Business Profile is required for a Professional to show up in AI Mode. However, the release does say that the integration is coming soon to eligible US Customers.
Angi says homeowners who select an Angi pro that shows up in AI Mode will go straight to that pro’s Angi Profile where they can get more information about the pro and make a quote request. Thumbtack is on Stein’s list however Thumbtack did not announce an AI Mode plan via press releases as of Nov. 4.
Why This Matters
For home service businesses, the platform they picked to run jobs or find customers now also affects whether they can take booking and quote requests from Google’s AI search. What it takes to qualify differs by platform, down to whether a Google Business Profile is required.
Jobber’s and Housecall Pro’s no-lead-fee terms contrast with Google’s own Local Services Ads, whose help page lists a customer’s booking request as a lead advertisers are charged for in the U.S. and Canada. Angi’s annual report says pros pay it fees for consumer matches, but its AI Mode announcement doesn’t say whether those fees apply to quote requests that start in AI Mode.
A business cannot rely solely on qualifying for a partner platform to show up; though Stein’s post does not describe how Google determines which businesses to display in AI mode. On the other hand, Jobber’s help page states if a customer collects client reviews and uses a booking form instead of just a request form then that can help have their business recommended by Google AI mode more frequently.
Customers of Jobber can verify whether their Jobber addresses are the same as those entered into their Google Business Profile. Housecall Pro customers should find out whether their account qualifies with Google AI mode, and Angi pros can check their Angi profile, because according to Angi, the profile information on Angi is where Google’s AI mode sends homeowners to choose from.
Looking Ahead
Stein listed ServiceTitan as coming soon. A business on none of the listed platforms has no route to direct bookings through AI Mode.
Google’s help page on checking local availability in AI Mode, doesn’t mention partner links. For the latest updates, keep an eye on that page and each partner’s eligibility rules.
