Blog
Straight talk for service business operators.
Pricing breakdowns, agency comparisons, AI receptionist analysis, and tactical advice — written by Grant St. Leger, founder of Surgent Marketing.
Pricing · 8 min read
How much does a roofing marketing agency cost in 2026?
Roofing marketing agency pricing in 2026 ranges from about $500/month at the entry tier (basic Google Business Profile + light ads) to $25,000/month at the top (Scorpion full-service multi-channel). Surgent typically lands in the $999–$4,000/month band for a full stack — custom website, Google Ads, AI receptionist, local SEO. The biggest variable is whether the agency owns your accounts or you do.
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AI receptionist · 10 min read
Best AI receptionist for service businesses in 2026
The best AI receptionist for a service business in 2026 depends on call volume and integration needs. Surgent's AI receptionist ($500/mo) handles unlimited concurrent calls with full calendar booking and is included as part of a broader marketing engagement. Goodcall and Rosie are standalone alternatives at similar price points. Smith.ai is a hybrid (human + AI). Numa serves dealership and high-volume verticals.
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Comparisons · 9 min read
Scorpion vs. Hibu vs. Thryv vs. Surgent — service business marketing in 2026
Scorpion ($10K–$25K/mo) is built for $25M+ multi-location service businesses with internal marketing teams. Hibu ($500–$2,000+/mo) and Thryv ($1,133/mo Growth Plan) target small-to-mid service businesses with bundled marketing + software. Surgent ($999–$4,000/mo) offers comparable mid-tier scope with month-to-month terms after 90 days and every account in the client's name from day one.
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