CallataGuides

Business phone system for plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana

2,008 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors operated in Indiana in 2023. Where they are, how big their teams are, and what phone service costs them.

Establishments
2,008CBP 2023
Employees
26,484mid-March 2023
Per 100k residents
29.0U.S. 32.7
State rank
17th of 51by count

How many plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors operate in Indiana

The Census Bureau counted 2,008 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 238220). They employed 26,484 people in mid-March and reported $2.0 billion in annual payroll. That is the 17th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors make up 1.3% of the 155,692 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Indiana has 29.0 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors, 11.3% below the national rate of 32.7. The average establishment has 13.2 employees against 10.9 nationally. Payroll per employee is $76,427, 3.7% above the U.S. figure of $73,693.

Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors: Indiana compared with the U.S., 2023
MeasureIndianaUnited States
Establishments2,008111,207
Mid-March employees26,4841,214,761
Annual payroll$2,024,104,000$89,519,407,000
Employees per establishment13.210.9
Payroll per employee$76,427$73,693
Establishments per 100,000 residents29.032.7

Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.

Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors by metro area in Indiana

Census published plumbing and HVAC contractor counts for 40 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Indiana. The largest is Chicago, IL-IN, with 3,042 establishments (a multi-state area; its count covers every state it spans). Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 74% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors by metro or micropolitan area, Indiana, 2023
AreaEstablishmentsEmployeesPer 100k residents
Chicago, IL-IN3,04230,76132.3
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN6319,66627.4
Indianapolis, IN59810,11027.5
Louisville, KY-IN4496,59232.2
Fort Wayne, IN1623,34835.0
Evansville, IN891,68332.7
South Bend, IN-MI831,13225.5
Lafayette, IN6562128.3
Elkhart, IN5049524.1
Terre Haute, IN4768727.8
Bloomington, IN4376626.5
Michigan City, IN3526331.4
Columbus, IN2816233.0
Muncie, IN2622023.0
Kokomo, IN2644930.9
Warsaw, IN2225027.3
Seymour, IN2013742.2
Jasper, IN2021545.8
Marion, IN1911028.6
New Castle, IN1812236.7
Bedford, IN166835.4
Crawfordsville, IN157438.8
Richmond, IN1310719.6
Auburn, IN1318229.3
Angola, IN13—37.3

Top 25 of 40 areas by establishments. Source: Census CBP 2023.

Team sizes at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana

51.3% of Indiana's plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 58.3% nationally. 72.2% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees1,02951.3%58.3%
5–9 employees41920.9%18.5%
10–19 employees28614.3%11.8%
20–49 employees1889.4%7.5%
50 or more employees834.1%3.8%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Why the phone matters for plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana

Plumbing and HVAC calls are often emergencies: no heat, no cooling or water where it should not be. Homeowners call down a list until someone answers, so a missed call is frequently a lost job. That holds for plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana as much as anywhere.

A few of the calls that come in to plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana:

Calls after closing time

Emergency calls at night and on weekends are core business, so after-hours routing to an on-call technician or an AI receptionist that takes details matters.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Phone system pricing for a 13-person plumbing and HVAC contractor

Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana average 13.2 employees, so the comparison uses a 13-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $324.35 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $390.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 13 people cost $259.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $1,572. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Monthly list price for a 13-person plumbing and HVAC contractor
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$259.00$3,108.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$247.00$2,964.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$299.00$3,588.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$324.35$3,892.20
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$351.00$4,212.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$390.00$4,680.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Area codes in Indiana

Indiana has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your customers know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

Area codes in Indiana by assigned exchanges
Area codeExchangesTime zoneIn service sinceOverlay with
317786Eastern1947463
812785Eastern and Central1947930
765725Eastern1997none
219495Eastern and Central1948none
260444Eastern2002none
574403Eastern and Central2002none
463188Eastern2016317
930158Eastern2015812

Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.

How Callata works for plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors in Indiana

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

If you already have a number in Indiana, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.

Frequently asked questions

How many plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors are in Indiana?

2,008 in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. They employed 26,484 people in mid-March.

Which Indiana metro area has the most plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors?

Chicago, IL-IN, with 3,042 establishments in 2023.

What does a phone system cost a 13-person plumbing and HVAC contractor?

$390.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core or $324.35 on Ooma Office Pro at month-to-month list prices (checked September 28, 2026); $259.00 on Callata ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user).

Do I need to register to text customers from a Indiana number?

Yes. US carriers require business texting from local numbers to be registered (10DLC). On Callata the registration is a one-time $49 fee, and texting turns on once it is approved.