Why this trade is different
Crews in this trade work with loud equipment, in the field, and away from the phone for most of the day. Two kinds of calls come in. Estimate calls (a bid for lawn care, a hardscape quote, a seasonal contract) are shopped around, and the company that responds first often gets the site visit. Storm and hazard calls (a limb on a driveway, a downed tree) are urgent. For how many home-service calls go unanswered, see How many calls do home service businesses miss?.
The Kentucky market, by county
Census County Business Patterns (2023) counts 1,095 landscaping service establishments with paid employees across the 68 Kentucky counties where a count is reported. The Census category (NAICS 561730, landscaping services) includes lawn care and, in the standard classification, tree services; tree work is not reported separately. The count excludes owner-operators with no payroll.
| County | Establishments | Paid employees |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | 241 | 1,761 |
| Fayette | 88 | 806 |
| Oldham | 55 | 368 |
| Kenton | 46 | 327 |
| Warren | 42 | 364 |
| Boone | 38 | 400 |
| Daviess | 38 | 273 |
| Jessamine | 34 | 385 |
| Bullitt | 33 | 104 |
| Madison | 31 | 105 |
Fourteen counties have 20 or more establishments, 29 have between 5 and 19, and 25 have fewer than 5. Employment per establishment is low in this trade: Jefferson County has 241 establishments and 1,761 paid employees, about seven per establishment, so most of these companies are small crews.
What an answered call has to do in this trade
- Estimate calls. Capture the address, the size of the property, the service wanted, and a good time for a site visit. Seasonal and commercial inquiries are often time-sensitive.
- Storm and hazard calls. The first question is safety: is anyone hurt, is a power line involved? A caller who reports a line down should be told to stay away and call 911 or the utility, not to wait for a crew.
- Photos. If the company uses text messages to collect photos of damage, ask the vendor how it handles consent for texts.
Ask any answering service or AI receptionist what it says to a caller with a downed line or a tree on a house, and whether you can change that script. Recording and AI-voice rules are covered in Kentucky rules for businesses that let someone else answer the phone.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730 (landscaping services), Kentucky counties, pulled 2026-10-24: https://api.census.gov/data/2023/cbp
- NAICS 561730 scope (tree pruning, removal and trimming listed under landscaping services; third-party reproduction of the classification, official Census definition to be confirmed): https://img3.ibisworld.com/classifications/naics/561730/landscaping-services
- Missed-call studies and sources: see the guide linked above.
About NOVA
NOVA is the 24/7 AI receptionist sold by Nova Impact Solutions, which publishes this site. It has a 30-day free trial with no credit card and works with your existing number for inbound calls; plans start at $297 per month after the trial.