Best Phone Solutions for Cleaning Businesses

Do you still use your personal phone number to manage your cleaning business? If so, it’s time to consider a phone solution designed for businesses. Especially as you scale and add more staff, it’s important that your company has a dedicated phone number where clients can call, leave voicemails, text, etc.

In this article, we’ll round up the most common phone systems that our community has used in the past. We’ll also share what people had to say about them and our general recommendations so you can make the best choice for your business!

Why You Need a Business Phone System as a Cleaning Company

One of the biggest recommendations we can give when you’re starting out a cleaning business is to have a dedicated phone system. We’ve seen small business owners try to manage it all through their personal line, and while that works when you’re just starting out, you’re going to blow up your phone as you start to add customers! 

Additionally, if you have staff working under you, it’s best to keep all of your communications consolidated into one system. Otherwise, you’ll add more work for yourself by trying to keep track of who answered which customer and when.

So, to be truly professional, it’s best to have a separate phone system, and the best part is that in 2025, there are tons of options! Of course, the criteria you prioritize depend on your unique business and where it’s at, so we’ll go through multiple options and talk about where each one shines.

What to Look For in a Cleaning Business Phone Solution

There are lots of factors to consider when you’re looking at a phone solution. For businesses just starting out, cost might be the most important decision, but it’s also important to think about what you’ll need when your business scales. Transferring services is a pain in the butt, so we recommend picking a solution that you think will be the best for you long-term, even if it means a little more investment now. 

The key factors to consider when evaluating business phone solutions are:

• Ease of setup
• Multiple devices and location access
• Cost
• SMS capabilities
• Call routing and forwarding
• Voicemail-to-text transcription
• Shared inboxes
• Auto-replies and after-hours messages
• CMS and other integrations

Let’s talk about why.

Ease of setup

Don’t make your life more complicated than it needs to be! Luckily, most solutions are fairly user-friendly nowadays, but some are more technical than others. We recommend going with a solution that won’t be a burden for your staff to learn, especially as you add more team members and client services.

Multiple devices and location access

You’re going to want to use the same number across mobile, desktop, and other devices like iPads and tablets. If you have team members in different places, you’ll also want to make sure that everything routes through the same number and system.

Cost

This one’s fairly straightforward — you don’t want a system that’s going to break the bank, especially if you’re just starting out. 

On average, you should expect to pay around $15 – 40 per user/month, depending on the provider and plan. If you want something more complicated (like the ability to connect to the cloud, for example, you might see slightly higher costs (roughly $45 per user/month). Again, though, it all depends on the provider, and we’ll talk about each one in depth later.

SMS capabilities

Most people prefer text messages over calls and emails. In 2025, SMS capabilities is critical for a service-based business like cleaning. We recommend choosing a phone solution with SMS capabilities so you can send automated (or customized, depending on the situation) appointment reminders, reschedule jobs, and message with clients via text.

Call routing and forwarding

If you have multiple staff members or want to separate your calls by topic (billing, scheduling, cancellations, etc.), you’ll also want to have the option to route customers’ calls. This means you can direct calls to the right person or voicemail based on time or availability.

Voicemail-to-text transcription

This is a common feature in most phones nowadays, but voicemail-to-text transcription is especially helpful if you’re on the go — save time by reading messages instead of listening to them.

Shared inboxes

This one is a game-changer, especially as your business grows. Shared inboxes allow for multiple team members to respond to calls and texts without stepping on each other’s toes, and also avoid multiple people replying to the same client separately.

Auto-replies and after-hours messages

Yes, you’ll be tempted to reply to business inquiries at all hours of the day, but our job is to make your life more zen (ha, get it?). Auto-replies and after-hours messages help you set clear boundaries on when clients can expect an answer, but still keep communications flowing even when you’re not available to answer.

CMS and other integrations

Lastly, some business phone providers actually sync with scheduling or CRM software! This keeps everything in one place and can make it so that you receive a call, schedule an appointment, and send messages, all in one place. ZenMaid specifically built this integration with a large phone solution provider based on customer feedback!

Roundup: Best Phone Systems for Cleaning Businesses

OpenPhone

OpenPhone is easily the most commonly used service in the ZenMaid customer community! Its most basic plan includes one new or ported phone number (local or toll-free) per user, calling and messaging to US and Canadian numbers, voicemail transcripts, OpenPhone API, and email ticket support. 

Here’s what our community in the ZenMaid Mastermind had to say: 

“OpenPhone is what we use. It works great for our business.” — Jennifer S.

“I do and it works great for us. I haven’t had any issues with it.” — Rosaline A.

“Highly recommend OpenPhone! We used Grasshopper previously & I am so glad we made the switch!” — Brenna S.

“Switched to Open Phone and love it.” — Kaitlyn R.

“I use OpenPhone for my cleaning company the best part is the summary features where it gives you a transcript and summary of call.” — Max A.

⭐Highlights: Designed for mobile and remote-first businesses, OpenPhone offers cloud-based calling and texting through the internet across iOS, Android, desktop, and the web

✅ Key Features: 

• Shared numbers so your whole team can handle calls and texts
• Voicemail-to-text, snippets, and AI-powered summaries/transcripts
• Auto-replies and scheduled messages
• Integrations with ZenMaid, Slack, HubSpot, Salesforce, Zapier, and more

💰Pricing:

• Basic: $19 per user/month

• Business: $33 per user/month (includes everything from the basic tier, plus group calling, custom ring orders, call transfers, HubSpot and Salesforce integrations, phone menus, analytics and reporting, auto call recording, and live chat support)
• Scale: $47 per user/month
(includes everything from the business tier, plus AI call tags, dedicated onboarding support, and priority live chat and email ticket support)

‼️Bonus: ZenMaid integrates directly with OpenPhone, and as part of our partnership, you can get 20% off your first six months!

🔗 ZenMaid and OpenPhone promotion link

RingCentral

RingCentral is another robust platform on this list. It offers full-service VoIP with voice, video, messaging, and team collaboration tools. Ring Central is best suited for growing teams, in our opinion, but solo business owners can also benefit from it.

Here’s what our community in the ZenMaid Mastermind had to say:

“RingCentral has every feature I ever wanted and then some where all of the others had trade offs.” — Derek C.

“RingCentral is what we use. We had OpenPhone but it had outages often and we didn’t like that. From the post, it looks like they don’t have as many outages anymore.” — Amy C.

“I use RingCentral. It’s not cheap and you pay extra for texting but it’s awesome when you want to have someone else help you answer your phone, cause it can be put on different phones with an app AND a computer.” — Gloria P.

“RingCentral is twice the price but excellent quality and very active support team.” — Asher F.

⭐Highlights: RingCentral is very scalable and built to support teams big or small. Its real-time analytics and call monitoring feature is also very helpful.

✅ Key Features: 

• Unlimited calling and SMS

• Video conferencing and screen sharing
• Advanced call routing and voicemail
• CRM and scheduling software integrations
• Multi-device access across desktop and mobile

💰Pricing:

• Core: $30 per user/month
• Advanced: per user/month (includes everything from the core tier, including queues, internet fax, and integrations)
• Ultra: $45 per user/month (includes everything in the advanced tier, plus video, analytics, device status, and more)

Google Voice

Google Voice is a familiar option for business owners who already use Google Workspace! It integrates very easily, making it easy to use and requiring little setup. From our perspective, it works well for solo business owners or very teams who are just getting started.

Full disclosure: this is not our first choice by any means. A lot of people cited that it’s not as good as the other options on this list (again, it’s pretty bare bones), but it’s worth considering if you’re just starting out. 

Here’s what our community in the ZenMaid Mastermind had to say:

“I have a separate number thru Google voice and it works really well for me so far!” — Char W.

⭐Highlights: If you want a no-frills, free (or very low-cost) solution, Google Voice is a decent option. It’s minimal but gets the job done, and sometimes, that might be all you need.

✅ Key Features:

• Free personal plan available
• Call forwarding to any device
• Text messaging and voicemail
• Integration with Google Calendar and Gmail
• Mobile and desktop support

💰Pricing:

• Starter: $10 per user/month (supports up to 10 users, and includes domestic calling and SMS, web, desktop, and mobile apps)
• Standard: $20 per user/month (removes user/location caps and adds features like multi-level auto-attendant and desk phone support)
• Premier: $30 per user/month (adds features for international businesses and advanced reporting)

Lawn Phone

Lawn Phone is a niche VoIP tool built specifically for field service businesses — mostly landscaping and cleaning. It includes texting, automation, and VoIP tools tailored to home service industries.

Here’s what our community in the ZenMaid Mastermind had to say:

“Lawnphone lover here, customer service is the best” — Kristen P.

“Their customer service is off the chain! Ask for Brandon and he’ll actually do absolutely everything for you. They are what we use and integrate with lots of things.” — Libby D.

⭐Highlights: Lawn Phone was specifically made for lawn care businesses, so they’re hughly familiar with with field services. More and more cleaning companies have used it in the past, and its customer service is highly praised! Lawn Phone’s biggest assets (according to users) are its automated common client interactions and support.

✅ Key Features:

• 2-way texting with customers
• Call routing and team extensions
• Auto-replies and saved message templates
• CRM and software integrations
• Visual voicemail and mobile app

💰Pricing:

• Owner Operator: $39–$139 per month for 1–4 users (pricing varies by use case)
• Growth: $179 per month (8+ simultaneous calls; includes call recording, call reporting and texting)
• SMS / MMS add-on: $19 per month (10DLC Compliant Messaging in 3CX)

Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a long-standing virtual phone system. It offers straightforward call handling and voicemail features without overwhelming you with options.

While a few ZenMaid users recommended Grasshopper, many have made the switch from it to Open Phone or other solutions. They cited poor support and long wait times for answers from the Grasshopper team, but a number of users recommended it anyway. 

We don’t have a lot of personal anecdotes to share here, but Grasshopper is clearly still an option that people like to explore.

⭐Highlights: Grasshopper is ideal for small businesses that want to keep things simple, professional, and affordable without a steep learning curve.

✅ Key Features:

• Call forwarding and voicemail
• Text messaging
• Multiple extensions for a single number
• Business hours and custom greetings
• Mobile and desktop apps

💰Pricing:

• True Solo: $18 per month (1 user, 1 phone number, 1 extension)
• Solo Plus: $32 per month (unlimited users, 1 phone number, 1 extension)
• Small Business: $89 per month (unlimited users, 4 phone numbers, unlimited extensions)

Ooma Office

Ooma Office is a great choice for cleaning companies that want a blend of traditional phone features and VoIP flexibility. It supports physical desk phones while also offering mobile and desktop apps.

Like Grasshopper, don’t have any personal anecdotes to share here, but when asked in the ZenMaid MasterMind group on Facebook, multiple people recommended Ooma and did not elaborate further.

⭐Highlights: Ooma Office has a hybrid system with VoIP and desk phone compatibility, which is ideal for teams that want flexibility for both digital and physical phone systems.

✅ Key Features:

• Virtual receptionist and call routing
• Mobile and desktop apps
• Call recording and voicemail transcription
• Easy expansion for growing teams
• Optional desk phone support

💰Pricing:

• Essentials: $19.95 per user/month (50+ standard features, unlimited calling in US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, virtual receptionist, and mobile app)
• Pro: $24.95 per user/month (includes everything in the essentials tier, plus desktop app. text messaging, videoconferencing, and call recording)
• Pro Plus: $29.95 per user/month (includes everything in the pro tier, plus CRM integration, team chat, hot desking, and call queuing)

Zoom Phone

Zoom Phone is a cloud-based VoIP service built by the same company behind Zoom Meetings, so, if you’re already familiar with Zoom’s video features, this should be an easy one! It’s a great option for cleaning businesses that want a simple phone system with strong reliability, especially if you already use Zoom for team communication.

Though we haven’t seen a lot of people going out of their way to mention Zoom Phone, it’s becoming a popular choice for small business across the board.

⭐Highlights: Most people are familiar with Zoom’s platform already, so Zoom Phone is straightforward for many business owners! It has professional-grade calling features in a platform they may already be using. It’s flexible, cloud-based, and works across all major devices with minimal setup.

✅ Key Features:

• Unlimited domestic calling
• Call forwarding, transfer, and routing
• Voicemail with transcription
• Auto-attendant and custom call flows
• Mobile, desktop, and desk phone support
• Integrations with Zoom Meetings, Slack, Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, and more

💰Pricing:

• US & Canada Metered: $10 per user/month
• US & Canada Unlimited: $15 per user/month
• Global Select: Custom pricing for international coverage

🏆 Our Top Choice for Cleaning Business Owners: OpenPhone

Our community of cleaning business owners overwhelmingly recommends OpenPhone, so much so that we created a partnership with them after the fact. 

ZenMaid customers can bring calls, texts, and contacts together in one AI-powered shared space with this direct integration.

Pro Tips for Managing Phone Communication in a Cleaning Business

Setting up the right phone system is only half the battle. Make sure you’re setting it up in a way that reflects the great client experience you’re providing in your business! Here are a few best practices:

Use a clear, branded voicemail greeting: This sounds silly, but it adds credibility. The default voicemail greeting may make callers think they got the wrong number, so make sure to state your business name, hours of operation, any menu options, and when they can expect a callback.

Set expectations with auto-replies: Most modern systems let you send automatic texts when you miss a call or receive a message outside business hours. Use this to let clients know you’re not ignoring them and will get back to them once you’re back!

Keep personal and business contacts separate: This is the biggest reason to stop using your personal phone for work. Use your business line strictly for work so your communication stays organized and that you don’t blur the lines between your time off and work.

Train your team on shared inboxes: If your phone system allows for shared texting or calling (like OpenPhone or Lawn Phone), make sure your team understands how to respond as one unified voice. That will avoid multiple different people texting the same client at once, which is an overall chaotic customer experience.

Track communication pattern: If your system offers reporting or call analytics, use it! Look for things like peak call hours, dropped calls, long response times, etc. This can help you staff smarter and prioritize specific situations.

Don’t forget to follow up: Missed calls = missed revenue. Use voicemail transcripts, notifications, or integrations with your CRM to make sure you’re not forgetting to respond to any clients.

Phone System FAQs for Cleaning Businesses

What is the cheapest business phone service?

The cheapest business phone service is Google Voice, which offers a free personal plan and paid business plans starting at $10 per user per month. It’s very basic, though, so you get what you pay for in that sense. For a more robust option, OpenPhone starts at just $19 per user per month (not including the ZenMaid partnership deal) and includes features like voicemail transcription and texting.

What is the best phone service for a small business?

According to our community of cleaning business owners, OpenPhone is the best overall phone service for small businesses, especially service-based businesses like cleaning.

Should I use my personal phone for my cleaning business?

NO! Using your personal phone will nearly always result in missed messages, client confusion, and lack of boundaries (emphasis on this one).

A dedicated business phone line is more professional and makes it easier as you grow your business. Further, it’ll help you avoid mixing work with your personal life.

What’s the best free phone option for small cleaning teams?

Google Voice is the best free option for very small teams or solo cleaners. It offers basic call forwarding, voicemail, and texting but lacks features like team inboxes, analytics, or integrations that most paid tools include.

Can I use one number for both calls and texts?

Yes! Most modern business phone systems (like OpenPhone, RingCentral, and Lawn Phone) support both calling and SMS on a single number, including shared access for teams.

Do business phone systems integrate with scheduling tools like ZenMaid?

Yes — OpenPhone integrates directly with ZenMaid, allowing you to streamline calls, texts, and scheduling in one place. Other platforms may also support Zapier or CRM integrations as well.

Can I keep my existing phone number when switching to a business line?

Yes, most providers allow you to port your existing number into their system.