Will AI take jobs in the trades? Not the way you think.
There's a question everybody in the trades is quietly asking: will AI take more jobs in the trades than it creates?
Our founder AK took the AI side. Kevin Hohe, a fence contractor and the founder of The Honest Builder, spoke for the people who swing the hammer. It wasn't a fight. It was the most honest version of this conversation we've heard.
The robot isn't coming for your truck
When most of us hear "AI," we picture robots. Movies trained us to.
But look at what you already use. Google Maps. Gmail. YouTube. The ads on your phone. All of it runs on AI, and it has for years. You've been using it to run your business without calling it that.
So the real threat isn't a machine. Our founder AK puts it plainly: "It's gonna be other contractors, other people in the trades that are using AI to actually grow their business faster."
It's the guy across town who answers his phone faster, follows up the same day and shows up first when a homeowner searches. That's who takes the job.
Kevin's fair warning
Kevin didn't wave the worry away, and we respect him for it. He reminded everyone that "the factory line, the assembly line, the printing press, every technological innovation comes with fear." Then he added, "I don't think we should be fearful." Mindful, yes. Afraid, no.
His deeper worry was about focus. He doesn't want owners so busy chasing a machine's attention that they forget the craft. The risk, in his words, is when "the focus leaves being good at your trade in favor of getting recognized by a bot."
We agree. The craft is the product. Everything else just helps the right people find it.
What being replaced actually looks like
AK has a way of describing how replacement really happens. He uses software designers as the example, but the pattern fits every trade.
Nobody slips you a notice. You used to get 15 calls a month. Then five. Then one every other month. And one day you realize nobody's calling anymore. Most people take months to notice, because a quiet phone feels like a slow season, not a warning.
So what do you actually do?
Three things. None of them need a computer science degree.
Answer faster. If a homeowner can't reach you, they call the next name on the list. Make sure every missed call gets a text back within a minute, even when you're under a house.
Be easy to find. Keep your Google profile fed, your reviews coming and your website honest about what you do and where.
Keep the human part human. People still want a person in their home. As AK said, "I cannot imagine a robot plumber coming to a house." Your hands, your judgment and your handshake aren't going anywhere.
How it should feel
If this topic makes your stomach tighten a little, that's fair. Change is loud right now, and most of the noise is about fear.
But here's the good news. The tools that matter most for a home service business are small, cheap and practical. They don't replace you. They protect the work you already do well, so it doesn't get lost because you couldn't reach your phone.
AI won't take your job. Being hard to reach might.
If you want to know where your business is leaking jobs today, take our free Growth Ladder assessment. Twenty nine questions, about four minutes on your phone, and the findings are yours whether we ever work together or not.
- The Honest Builder Round Table (transcript)
