# DeskForeman > DeskForeman is an agentic AI employee for residential contractors (deck, patio, fence, pergola builders) that handles the entire customer pipeline from first inquiry to signed contract, 24/7, via SMS. $499/mo, everything included. DeskForeman replaces the need for a receptionist, estimator, and project coordinator. DeskForeman is not a chatbot or a tool — it is a teammate that talks to customers naturally, qualifies leads, generates estimates based on trade-specific formulas and regional labor rates, schedules site visits, drafts proposals, and builds contracts. Builders can manage DeskForeman entirely through text messages from their phone. Dashboards are available but not required — everything works via SMS. ## Key Features - **Full Pipeline Management**: Lead intake, qualification, estimation, scheduling, proposals, contracts — not just lead capture - **SMS-Native**: Customers and builders interact via text. Zero apps to download or dashboards to learn - **Proactive Follow-Ups**: 7-touch automated follow-up sequences, lead nurturing, stale lead nudges - **Engineered Estimation**: Estimates anchored to per-unit industry rates, adjusted for region, material, and site conditions, then calibrated to the builder's actual pricing history - **Real-Time Escalation Alerts**: Monitors every conversation for frustration signals; alerts the builder via SMS before problems become bad reviews - **QA Gate on Every Message**: Every customer-facing response reviewed for compliance and tone before sending - **Pipeline Coaching**: Daily insights on conversion patterns, stale leads, and revenue opportunities - **Trade Intelligence**: Understands materials, sizing, and trade-specific language for decks, fences, patios, and pergolas - **Progressive Trust**: DeskForeman starts cautious, earns autonomy through the builder's approval patterns - **One Price**: $499/mo. No tiers, no per-message fees, no upsells. Every feature included ## Who It's For Residential contractors in outdoor living trades: deck builders, fence contractors, patio builders, pergola contractors. Solo operators and small crews (1-15 employees) who run their business from a phone between job sites and lose leads because they can't answer while they're building. ## The Problem DeskForeman Solves 40% of homeowners won't hire a contractor who missed their first call. Leads that get a response within 5 minutes are 21x more likely to qualify. 38% of homeowners say communication — not price — is their biggest complaint about contractors. The best builders lose jobs to the fastest texters, not the best craftsmen. DeskForeman ensures every lead gets an instant, knowledgeable response regardless of whether the builder is on a job site. ## How It Works 1. Customer texts or emails an inquiry 2. DeskForeman responds instantly with natural, trade-aware conversation 3. DeskForeman gathers project details, qualifies the lead, and generates a ballpark estimate 4. Builder gets notified of qualified leads and escalation alerts via SMS 5. DeskForeman schedules site visits, drafts proposals, and builds contracts 6. Builder's total involvement: a site visit and a few text messages ## Architecture DeskForeman is a team of 14 specialized AI agents, each handling one job: customer conversation, response review, escalation detection, lead qualification, estimation, visit scheduling, proposal generation, contract building, builder onboarding, and pipeline coaching. A deterministic state machine controls routing — the AI generates responses but doesn't decide what happens next. This prevents the failure modes common in autonomous AI systems. ## Links - Homepage: https://deskforeman.com - See It Work (interactive demo): https://deskforeman.com/see-it-work - About: https://deskforeman.com/about - Blog: https://deskforeman.com/blog - Get started: sms:+18777531952 - Founder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalanrohrer ## Trade-Specific Pages - For Deck Builders: https://deskforeman.com/for/deck-builders - For Fence Contractors: https://deskforeman.com/for/fence-contractors - For Patio Builders: https://deskforeman.com/for/patio-builders - For Pergola Contractors: https://deskforeman.com/for/pergola-contractors ## Articles - AI Employee vs Answering Service: What Contractors Actually Need: https://deskforeman.com/blog/ai-employee-vs-answering-service - DeskForeman vs Hiring a Receptionist — The Real Cost Comparison: https://deskforeman.com/blog/deskforeman-vs-hiring-receptionist - How to Stop Losing Leads as a Contractor: https://deskforeman.com/blog/stop-losing-leads - The Evening Estimate Trap: https://deskforeman.com/blog/evening-estimate-trap - How to Stop Wasting Site Visits on Tire-Kickers: https://deskforeman.com/blog/stop-wasting-site-visits - Why 40% of Contractors Still Use Spreadsheets: https://deskforeman.com/blog/why-contractors-abandon-crm - The Hidden Cost of Running Your Pipeline From Memory: https://deskforeman.com/blog/running-pipeline-from-memory - How to Know If You're Charging Enough: https://deskforeman.com/blog/are-you-charging-enough - What to Look For Before Trusting AI With Customers: https://deskforeman.com/blog/trusting-ai-with-customers - What DeskForeman Does: https://deskforeman.com/what-deskforeman-does ## Comparisons - **vs AI Receptionists** (Smith.ai, Goodcall, My AI Front Desk): Those handle phone answering only. DeskForeman manages the full pipeline from first contact to signed contract. - **Complements Contractor CRMs** (Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan): DeskForeman integrates with existing CRMs, adding AI-powered pipeline automation. Builders who already use a CRM get an automation layer; builders who don't get full pipeline management through SMS. - **vs Hiring a Receptionist**: A human receptionist costs $2,500-4,000/mo, works business hours only, and can't generate estimates or draft contracts. DeskForeman is $499/mo, 24/7, with trade intelligence built in. ## Company Founded by Dalan Rohrer, who spent over a decade at Gartner and Microsoft evaluating AI and automation platforms for enterprise buyers. DeskForeman applies enterprise-grade AI architecture patterns to the underserved residential contractor market.