In every region, the top 25% of trades businesses are booking calls significantly more than the median. In the South, for example, the median booking rate is 35%. Among the region’s top 25% of businesses by booking rate, the median is 81%.
ServiceTitan’s inaugural quarterly State of the Trades Insights report puts those differences in context. Drawing on five quarters of aggregated ServiceTitan platform data from May 2025 through July 2026, it examines call booking rates, close rates and off-hours calls by region and shop size, alongside a snapshot of office-to-technician staffing.
Unless otherwise noted, the figures below reflect the most recent quarter, May through July 2026.
Booking rates differ more within regions than across them
Regional median booking rates range from 28% in the Northeast to 38% in the Midwest. Among the top 25% of businesses in each region, median booking rates range from 76% in the Northeast to 82% in the West.
That puts the gap between the overall median and the top group at more than 40 percentage points in every region, far wider than the differences between regional medians.
Shop size shows another consistent pattern. Booking rates rise with each technician band:
1 to 10 technicians: 30%
11 to 24 technicians: 42%
25 to 49 technicians: 52%
50 or more technicians: 58%
The largest shops book calls at nearly twice the rate of the smallest. That order held across all five quarters, with each group’s rate varying by roughly four percentage points or less over the period.
These comparisons show a consistent relationship between shop size and booking rates. They do not establish what causes it.
Close rates improved most in the South and West
Regional median close rates range from 31% in the Northeast to 38% in the West. Among the top 25% of businesses by close rate in each region, medians range from 70% to 73%.
The South and West recorded the largest year-over-year gains. Comparing May through July 2025 with the same period in 2026, the South’s median rose from 34% to 37%, and the West’s rose from 35% to 38%. The Midwest moved from 31% to 32%, while the Northeast remained at 31%, rounded to the nearest whole percentage point.
About one in eight calls arrives during off-hours
Calls outside business hours account for a consistent share of inbound volume. Across the five quarters, the overall off-hours share ranged from 10.7% to 12.1%. The highest shares came in May through July: 12.0% in 2025 and 12.1% in 2026.
In the latest quarter, the regional share ranged from 11% in the Midwest to 13% in the South.
The difference by shop size was wider. Businesses with 50 or more technicians received 15.7% of their calls during off-hours, compared with 11.8% for businesses with 1 to 10 technicians. The largest shops had the highest off-hours share in all five quarters.
For contractors reviewing phone coverage, the data offers a measure of how much call volume arrives outside business hours.
Office staffing provides a baseline for comparison
The tech-to-office ratio measures active technicians per customer service representative or dispatcher.
Businesses with 50 or more technicians have about seven technicians per CSR or dispatcher, compared with about three at smaller shops. By region, the ratio is four technicians per CSR or dispatcher in the South and West, compared with five in the Midwest and Northeast.
These figures provide a point-in-time staffing snapshot. They do not show how staffing has changed or establish an ideal ratio for an individual business.
What the findings mean for call handling
The data gives contractors two useful starting points: how their booking rates compare with similar businesses, and how much of their call volume arrives during off-hours. Reviewing those measures alongside their own call records can help businesses identify where to examine coverage and booking practices more closely.
For businesses considering automated call handling, ServiceTitan’s AI Virtual Agent uses real-time ServiceTitan customer records, job types and availability, together with the business’s own rules, to confirm details and schedule jobs.
Explore the interactive State of the Trades map to compare regions by quarter, or download the Call Trends in the Trades infographic for a shareable summary. To learn more about automated call booking, see what Max can do for your business.
Disclaimers: Data in these materials (i) is based on an aggregated, de-identified sample of ServiceTitan customer accounts; (ii) unless otherwise noted, reflects fiscal Q2 FY26 through Q2 FY27 (May 1, 2025–July 31, 2026) and may be revised over time as additional data becomes available; and (iii) should not be interpreted as representative of the entire trades industry, specific trades, broader populations or general market conditions.
Quarters reflect ServiceTitan’s fiscal calendar: Q1 (February–April), Q2 (May–July), Q3 (August–October) and Q4 (November–January). For clarity, dates in the article refer to calendar months and years. May–July 2026 corresponds to fiscal Q2 FY27.
Regional and technician-band comparisons reflect observed patterns and are not a guarantee of results for any individual business, nor do they establish causation. Other differences between these groups of businesses may contribute to the patterns shown. Call booking and close rates are calculated based on the median of the sampled population and the median of the top 25% of that population. Tech-to-office ratio reflects active technicians per combined customer service representative (CSR) and dispatch staff member. It does not include other office functions, such as administration, accounting or management, and is a point-in-time measure that is not tracked historically.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, financial or professional advice. Data methodologies and sample sizes may affect the reliability and applicability of the results, and ServiceTitan and its affiliates make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness or reliability of the data or analysis presented. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with qualified professionals before making decisions based on anything in these materials.
