Cost guide
How much does business automation cost?
Written for owners and managers who want a budget number before they talk to anyone. Every figure here is the same one we quote from.
Quick answer
Most small business automations cost $2,000 to $9,000 to build, plus tool fees paid to vendors. A first AI agent is $4,000. The number of systems, data quality and review steps decide where you land.
Prices last reviewed
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Free. Three short fields, and we reply by email within one business day.
Three parts
What you actually pay for
1. The build
A one-time fixed fee to design, build, test and hand over the automation. Floors: integrations from $2,000, workflows from $2,500, custom tools from $3,000, MCP servers from $3,500 and a first AI agent at $4,000.
2. The tools
Monthly fees you pay straight to vendors such as n8n, Zapier, Make, Twilio or an AI model provider. AI model usage is about $30 to $150 a month for most small businesses. We estimate it before the build.
3. Keeping it running
Vendors change their apps, fields get renamed and volumes grow. You can handle small fixes yourself with the handover doc, use the $350 a month care plan, or have us run your agents on a managed plan from $4,000 a month.
Examples
Project shapes and sample ranges
| Project | Systems | Price range | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SMS appointment confirmations for a dental group | Practice software, SMS, staff inbox | $2,500 to $4,000 | About 3 weeks |
| Prior authorization prefill for a medical practice | EHR, payer portals, review queue | $6,000 to $9,000 | 4 to 6 weeks |
| 24/7 lead reply and showing booking for a real estate team | CRM, SMS, calendar, AI drafting | $5,000 to $7,500 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Client onboarding for a financial advisory firm | CRM, e-sign, document storage | $3,500 to $6,000 | 3 to 5 weeks |
Cost drivers
Six things that move the price
Number of systems
UP Each extra system adds login, field mapping and testing work.
DOWN Tools with clean APIs (HubSpot, Google, Slack) are quick to connect.
Data quality
UP Messy or duplicated records need cleanup rules before automation.
DOWN One clean source of truth keeps the build small.
Human review steps
UP Approval screens and audit logs add build time.
DOWN Low-risk tasks can run without a review screen.
Compliance
UP Health, finance and legal data need extra access limits and logging.
DOWN Internal, non-sensitive data needs the standard controls only.
Volume and speed
UP Thousands of runs a day or real-time replies need queues and monitoring.
DOWN A daily or hourly batch is simpler and cheaper to run.
AI judgment
UP Drafting, classifying or deciding with AI needs testing on real samples.
DOWN Rule-based steps are fixed and cheap to test.
Save money
How to keep a build small
- Pick one task with a clear start and finish, not a whole department.
- Use tools you already pay for before adding new ones.
- Clean up the source data first, even roughly.
- Decide who reviews AI output before the build, not after.
- Batch work hourly or daily unless the customer is waiting.
Worth it?
When automation is not worth paying for
If a task takes less than an hour a week, changes every time, or needs judgment on every case, a build rarely pays back. A checklist or a setting in a tool you already own is often the better fix, and we will say so. Use the free calculators to check the hours first, then compare options on the pricing page. For agent budgets, read the AI agent cost guide, and for how payment is split, read how pricing and payment work.
If something we built breaks within 30 days of launch, we fix it at no charge.
FAQ
Common questions about automation costs
- What is the cheapest automation you build?
- A systems integration that connects two tools starts at $2,000. A workflow with a few steps and rules starts at $2,500, and a custom tool starts at $3,000.
- How much does an AI agent cost?
- A first AI agent is $4,000 to build. You also pay model usage straight to the provider, which is about $30 to $150 a month for most small businesses.
- Are there monthly fees after the build?
- Only if you choose them. Tool fees go straight to the vendors. Our care plan is $350 a month, and managed plans that run your agents for you start at $4,000 a month plus a $3,000 setup.
- How is payment split?
- Under $1,000 is paid upfront. From $1,000 to under $3,000 it is 50% at the start and 50% at handover. From $3,000 to under $5,000 it is 25% at the start, 50% at the first working demo and 25% at handover. From $5,000 up it is 33%, 33% and 34% at set milestones.
- Can I get a price before paying for anything?
- Yes. Describe the task on a free 15 or 30 minute call or by email and we give a range. For a larger plan, the $3,199 readiness assessment ends in a fixed quote, and its full fee is credited to the build.
See every price on the pricing page, fixed-price packages for dental practices and real estate teams, or more answers on the FAQ page.
Free. Three fields. We reply within one business day.
Want a price for your own task?
Describe the task and the tools. We tell you which cost drivers apply and a realistic range.
What happens next
- 1.You send one line about the task.
- 2.Shariq reads every message and replies by email within one business day.
- 3.If it fits, you get a written plan or a short call. Your choice.
- 4.If it does not fit, we tell you and point you to a better option.
“Shariq built our Open Dental to GoHighLevel sync and our AI routing system for new patient inquiries. Both projects were delivered fast, worked right away, and he was responsive whenever we needed adjustments. He understands dental practice workflows and doesn't overcomplicate things.”