Study: Trades Contractors Working to Translate AI's Benefits

A new survey of over 1,000 HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and other trades contractors finds many are now using AI tools in their businesses, mostly to deal with hiring shortages, offer after-hours customer support, and cut costs. Among contractors already using AI, 66% say it saves them at least three hours a week. But fewer are seeing that translate into money: only 47% report better profitability and 43% report more revenue.

The survey, done by ServiceTitan, a software company that serves trades businesses, also found contractors are less worried about the cost of AI tools than before. Instead, the bigger hurdles now are figuring out how to actually use AI well, not having clear examples of what it's good for, and getting it to work with the software they already run their business on. Trust is also an issue: only 11% of contractors say they place high trust in the AI tools they use, and 35% point to accuracy and reliability as their main concern.

For a homeowner, this mostly matters behind the scenes. If your HVAC or plumbing contractor uses AI, it might show up as faster scheduling, quicker answers to questions outside business hours, or more automated communication about appointments and estimates. It's not a rebate or a technology for your house directly, just a sign that the contractors who service your home are increasingly testing AI tools to run their businesses, with mixed results so far.