Every number, on one page
What does automation cost in 2026?
For an individual, a first working automation costs $250, a full personal setup starts at $1,500, and optional monthly watching is $150. For a business, an audit is $2,500 flat ($1,000 for the first three clients), a built system runs $5,000 to $15,000 fixed price, and managed operations cost $1,500 to $2,000 a month. Usage bills to accounts you own, at cost.
The Audit
$1,000 for the first three clients while we build our case-study bench.
- Two weeks inside your actual work
- A written map of what is automatable, dollarized item by item
- One quick win implemented before the report lands
- Fee credited toward your first build within 60 days
The Build
Per system. Fixed scope, fixed price, milestone billed.
- The Quote Desk, The Chaser, The Monday Report, The Intake Desk, or the system your audit surfaced
- Built on accounts you own, delivered working
- Acceptance criteria in writing before work starts
- Expected monthly usage cost stated in the quote
The Operations Watch
Month to month. No contract holding you here.
- Every run logged and checked against rules written for your business
- Breaks caught the day they happen, and fixed on us
- A plain-English monthly report of what got done
- One new automation or visible improvement every month, included
How the four paths compare
| Do it yourself | The Audit, $2,500 | A Build, $5,000 to $15,000 | The Watch, $1,500 to $2,000/mo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHAT YOU GET | Free tools and your evenings | A dollarized map of your automatable work plus one quick win running | One system delivered working on accounts you own | Everything watched, repaired, reported, one improvement every month |
| TIME TO VALUE | Weeks of tinkering, maybe | Two weeks | Weeks, scoped in writing before work starts | Continuous |
| WHO MAINTAINS IT | You do, forever | You decide after the map | You, with a plain-English cheat sheet | We do, and you see the log |
| BIGGEST RISK | Silent failure nobody notices | None. Worst case is a written "do not automate this" | Scope creep, capped by fixed price | None held over you. Month to month, everything stays yours |
What is the task costing you now?
Your inputs, your math, nothing leaves this page. Worked example baked in: 9 hours a week at $45 an hour with some redo is about $25,300 a year of payroll going to a repeatable task (50 working weeks).
Annual cost of doing it by hand: $25,313. Against a mid-range $10,000 build that pays back in 21 weeks, and against the $2,500 audit in 6 weeks.
Pricing questions
Why is the audit $1,000 for the first three clients?
We are new and need case studies we can publish. That is worth $1,500 to us. The audit is $2,500 flat after the first three, and the work is identical.
Are there long-term contracts?
No. Builds are fixed-scope, fixed-price projects. The Operations Watch is month to month, and either side can end it at the end of any month. Everything we built keeps working and stays yours.
What do the usage costs run?
The software's usage costs bill to accounts you own, at cost, with no markup. Each build quote states the expected monthly usage before you sign. For most single systems it is a small fraction of the monthly fee.
What does a typical first year look like?
Most clients run the audit, build one or two systems from its map, and keep the Operations Watch running. The audit fee is credited toward your first build when you proceed within 60 days.
Is industrial or plant work priced the same?
No, industrial engagements are scoped and quoted individually because the systems, stakes, and site requirements are different. Ask and you will get a straight number.
Not sure which step you need?
Describe the job that eats the most hours and we will tell you which step fits and what it would cost, within one business day.