Day 2 of 20 · AI for Trades

Your AI Toolkit for Trades

⏱ 5 min 📊 Beginner

Yesterday you learned why AI is a game changer for tradespeople. Today, you're going to set up the tools you'll use throughout this course.

Good news: you don't need to spend a penny to get started. The free versions of these tools are powerful enough to transform how you respond to leads, write quotes, and manage your online presence.

Let's get you set up.

The three tools you need

There are dozens of AI tools out there, but as a tradesperson, you only need three to cover everything in this course:

1. ChatGPT (by OpenAI) — Your main workhorse. This is what you'll use for writing lead responses, crafting quotes, generating review replies, and creating marketing content. The free version is excellent. The paid version ($20/month) is faster and handles longer, more complex tasks.

2. Claude (by Anthropic) — Your second option and a strong alternative to ChatGPT. Claude is particularly good at longer writing tasks and following detailed instructions. Great for when you need to draft a proposal or write content for your website. Also free to start.

3. Perplexity — Your research tool. Unlike ChatGPT and Claude, Perplexity searches the internet in real time. Use it to research competitors, check material prices, look up building regulations, or find out what homeowners in your area are searching for. Free plan is generous.

Knowledge Check

Which AI tool is best for researching current material prices or local building regulations?

A

Claude — because it handles long text

B

Any of them work equally well for research

C

Perplexity — because it searches the internet in real time

D

ChatGPT — because it's the most popular

Perplexity is purpose-built for research because it actively searches the web and provides sources. ChatGPT and Claude work from training data that may be months old, so for current prices, regulations, or competitor information, Perplexity is your best bet.

Which tool for which job

Here's a quick reference for when to reach for each tool:

Writing lead responses — ChatGPT or Claude. Both are brilliant at taking a job description and generating a personalized, professional response in seconds.

Crafting quotes and proposals — Claude or ChatGPT. Claude edges ahead for longer, more detailed documents. ChatGPT is faster for quick quotes.

Replying to reviews — ChatGPT. Fast, great with tone, and handles both positive and negative review responses well.

Researching competitors — Perplexity. Search for "best rated plumbers in Birmingham" or "top electricians Austin TX" and see exactly what your competition looks like.

Marketing content — ChatGPT or Claude. Social media posts, Google Business descriptions, website copy — both handle these well.

Checking regulations or codes — Perplexity. Need to know the latest Part P requirements in the UK? Or whether you need a permit for a deck in Victoria, Australia? Perplexity pulls current information with sources.

Three AI tools shown with their best use cases - ChatGPT for responses and quotes, Claude for proposals and content, Perplexity for research

You don't need a dozen tools. These three cover everything a tradesperson needs.

🤖

ChatGPT

online

I'm a roofer setting up AI tools for the first time. I only want to use free options. What should I sign up for first?

Start with these three — all free: **1. ChatGPT (chat.openai.com)** Sign up with your email or Google account. This will be your main tool for writing responses to leads on platforms like RatedPeople, Thumbtack, or hipages. The free tier gives you GPT-4o mini which is more than enough to start. **2. Claude (claude.ai)** Sign up at claude.ai. Use this as your backup and for longer writing tasks like detailed proposals or website content. Free tier is generous. **3. Perplexity (perplexity.ai)** Sign up for research tasks — checking competitors, material prices, and local regulations. Free plan gives you plenty of searches per day. **My recommendation:** Start using ChatGPT today for your lead responses. Add the others as you need them. You can always upgrade to paid plans later if you're seeing results — but the free versions will take you a long way.

↻ Replay conversation

Setting up in 10 minutes

Here's exactly how to get started — do this now or bookmark it for after work tonight:

Step 1: ChatGPT — Go to chat.openai.com on your phone or computer. Sign up with your email. Download the ChatGPT app on your phone (available on iPhone and Android). This is crucial — you'll be using this on the go between jobs.

Step 2: Claude — Go to claude.ai and create an account. Also available as a mobile app. Having both means you've always got a backup if one is busy or slow.

Step 3: Perplexity — Go to perplexity.ai and sign up. The mobile app is excellent for quick research on the go.

Pro tip for tradespeople: The mobile apps are essential. You'll be responding to leads from your van, from site, from the builders' merchant. Get the apps on your phone today.

Knowledge Check

Why is it important to install the AI mobile apps, not just use the website?

A

The mobile apps are cheaper to use

B

Tradespeople are on the move all day and need to respond to leads quickly from anywhere

C

The apps are faster than the website

D

The mobile apps have different AI models

As a tradesperson, you're rarely sitting at a desk. You need to respond to leads from your van, from site, or between jobs. Having the mobile apps means you can craft quality AI-powered responses in minutes, no matter where you are.

Knowledge Check

You want to check what other electricians in your area charge for a consumer unit replacement. Which tool should you use?

A

Claude — it's better at numbers

B

ChatGPT — ask it to estimate prices

C

Perplexity — it can search current online listings and pricing

D

None of them can help with pricing

Perplexity searches the internet in real time, so it can find current pricing information, competitor listings, and market rates in your area. ChatGPT and Claude rely on training data that may not reflect current local prices.

Free vs. paid — when to upgrade

Start free. Seriously. Don't pay for anything until you've seen results.

The free versions of ChatGPT and Claude can handle everything in Week 1 and most of Week 2. When you're consistently winning more jobs and saving time, that's when upgrading makes sense.

ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): Faster responses, access to the latest model, and priority during busy times. Worth it if you're using it daily for lead responses.

Claude Pro ($20/month): More usage allowance and access to the most capable model. Worth it if you're writing longer proposals and marketing content regularly.

Perplexity Pro ($20/month): More searches, better sources, and file upload. Worth it if you're doing heavy research on competitors or regulations.

The rule: If AI is helping you win even one extra job per month, the $20 subscription pays for itself many times over. A single small plumbing job or electrical callout covers a year of AI tools.

🔧

Day 2 Complete

"You don't need expensive tools to start. ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity — all free — are the only AI toolkit a tradesperson needs."

Tomorrow — Day 3

Understanding Lead Platforms

Tomorrow you'll learn how lead platforms actually work — and why understanding them is the key to winning more jobs.

Continue to Day 3 →