Google’s “Have AI Get Prices” Feature: Rewriting Local Search for HVAC & Home Services

In recent months, Google has quietly rolled out a major update to local search with its new “Have AI Get Prices” functionality, and it’s poised to change how homeowners find, compare, and ultimately choose local HVAC and home services providers.

To be clear: This isn’t a simple interface tweak. Google’s AI is now acting on behalf of the customer to collect pricing, availability, and service details directly from businesses, then delivering those results without the consumer ever having to click through to a website or make their own calls. Although this feature is currently appearing only on plumbing searches in the home services industry, Invoca reported that Google’s AI-initiated calls caused a more than 300% increase in pricing requests to businesses in November. Moreover, it’s likely that Google will roll this out for HVAC and home services nationwide by Q1 of 2026.

Read on to learn more about Google’s “Have AI Get Prices” feature, what it means for your home services business, and acionable steps you can take now to optimize for this new functionality.

What the “Have AI Get Prices” Feature Actually Does

When someone searches for a service like a plumber or HVAC technician, Google may now display a prompt to “Have AI Get Prices.” After the homeowner submits basic service details, Google’s AI takes over and initiates outreach to local businesses. Specifically, the AI can:

• Identify relevant local service providers
• Place automated calls clearly identifying itself as Google
• Request pricing or price ranges and availability details
• Compile and deliver responses back to the consumer via text or email, often within minutes

This interaction happens before the homeowner ever speaks directly to a contractor.

How Google’s “Have AI Get Prices” Feature Works

From the homeowner’s perspective, Google has turned a local search into a guided, AI-driven comparison experience.

It starts with a standard search like “plumber near me” or “emergency plumber.” Google still shows the local map pack, but now includes a prominent call-to-action such as “Have AI check prices” or “Get competitive quotes” directly inside the results.

When the user taps that option, Google’s AI takes control of the process.

The homeowner is guided through a short series of questions to define the request, including the type of service, the issue they’re experiencing, the property type, and how soon they need help. This allows Google to pre-qualify the job before involving any businesses.

Behind the scenes, Google’s AI then gathers pricing and availability by pulling from sources it can access and understand, including:

• Your website content (service pages, pricing pages, FAQs)
• Your Google Business Profile (services, posts, attributes)
• Structured data and schema markup
• Direct outreach when applicable

Once the information is collected, Google sends the homeowner a summarized comparison via email or text. Businesses that provided usable pricing and availability are shown first, complete with ratings, price ranges, and contact links. Businesses that couldn’t be reached or didn’t provide information are pushed into a separate “Businesses we couldn’t reach” section and are visually de-emphasized.

The homeowner then makes a decision based largely on what Google’s AI presents, often before ever speaking with a contractor.

The takeaway is simple: If Google can’t find, parse, or obtain your pricing and availability, you’re not included in the comparison. No comparison means no consideration. And no consideration means no lead.

How Businesses Are Selected

Google’s AI relies heavily on existing business data to determine who it contacts. Selection and effectiveness are influenced by:

• Google Business Profile accuracy and completeness
• Website service descriptions and pricing content
• Structured data and schema markup
• Reviews, relevance, and proximity signals
• Responsiveness and completeness of information provided by CSRs to direct outreach

The fundamentals of local SEO still matter, but now they directly impact whether Google’s AI can engage with your business at all.

Why This Matters for HVAC and Home Services Businesses

Historically, local search success meant ranking well and convincing users to click through to your website or call your office. With this new feature, Google inserts itself directly into the evaluation stage. Businesses are no longer just competing for visibility, they are competing on responsiveness and readiness. If Google’s AI cannot reach your business or cannot obtain usable pricing information, it simply moves on to the next option.

“Have AI Get Prices” accelerates the shift toward zero click experiences. Homeowners can now receive actionable comparisons without visiting a website or initiating a call themselves. For contractors, this means leads may be influenced or decided before any direct interaction occurs. Businesses that respond effectively can win jobs without a single page view, while others may never enter the consideration set.

The feature is already live in plumbing searches nationwide, and early signals indicate HVAC will follow closely in early 2026. This matters because HVAC decisions often involve higher costs, longer sales cycles, and more comparison shopping. Contractors who adapt early will be positioned as trusted, responsive options when AI-driven pricing comparisons become standard.

The New Operational Reality: Action Steps for HVAC and Home Services Businesses

This update blurs the line between marketing and operations. Call handling, pricing discipline, and internal processes now directly affect search performance. A missed call or vague pricing response is no longer just an internal issue. It is a lost opportunity at the search level, often without the business ever knowing the opportunity existed.

To prepare for AI mediated pricing and lead qualification, businesses should focus on a few immediate priorities:

• Evaluate Lead Handling Processes: Ensure phones are consistently answered or backed up by overflow or AI call handling
• Incorporate into CSR Training: Train staff to recognize and respond appropriately to AI initiated calls
• Implement Transparent Pricing: Publish clear service pricing ranges or baseline fees where possible
• Upgrade Your Local SEO: Optimize Google Business Profiles and website content for clarity and accuracy

These steps help ensure Google’s AI can successfully interact with your business and include you in comparisons.

Supporting Smarter Growth in an AI-First Search World

Google’s “Have AI Get Prices” signals a broader shift from discovery focused search to transaction enabled search. Visibility alone will not win. Responsiveness, transparency, and operational alignment will increasingly determine who gets recommended and who gets skipped. HVAC and home services companies that embrace this change will attract higher intent leads and reduce friction in the buying process.

This is not just another algorithm update. It is a structural change in how local service decisions are made. Google’s AI is becoming an intermediary between homeowners and contractors, and businesses must be ready to engage. Those who adapt early will gain a measurable advantage as AI driven local search becomes the norm. Mediagistic helps HVAC and home services businesses prepare for exactly these shifts, aligning marketing, technology, and operations so contractors can compete and win as search continues to evolve. Talk to one of our experts today to learn more.

Christopher St. Jean is the VP of Product and Innovation for Mediagistic, and he places an emphasis on analytics and optimization. He’s passionate about helping companies and clients see the “big picture” not only by acquiring qualified traffic, but by maximizing each site visit to ensure the best possible chance of a conversion via A/B and multivariate testing. Connect with him on Linkedin.