Automation pricing, fixed and upfront
No hourly surprises, no agency retainer you can't read. Here's exactly how I price n8n, GoHighLevel, and AI-agent work, and what drives the number.
Quick answer
Automation work is $60/hour (5-hour minimum), a fixed price from $2,500 for a scoped project delivered in 2-4 weeks, or a retainer from $3,500/month. You get an exact quote within 48 hours of a free discovery call, and the first week of any project is refundable.
Transparent pricing. No surprises.
Three ways to work together. We pick the one that fits your problem, not the one that maximizes my hours.
Hourly
Best for small fixes, quick consults, or scoping unknowns.
- Min 5 hours
- Invoiced weekly
- Slack / Telegram access
- Same-day response
Project
Best for one-shot builds with a clear scope and deadline.
- Fixed price after discovery
- 2-4 week delivery
- Source code + docs
- 30-day post-launch support
- Success metric agreed upfront
Retainer
Best for ongoing automation, ad management, and optimization.
- 20 / 40 / 80 hours per month
- Priority response
- Monthly strategy call
- Performance dashboard
- Pause anytime, no lock-in
No retainer lock-in. Cancel any month with 7 days notice. If the first week of any project isn't working, we part with a 100% refund. I'd rather lose a paycheck than your trust.
The first week is refundable
You don't take a risk on a stranger. If we're not the right fit after the first sprint, we part with a 100% refund for that week, and retainers can be cancelled any month with 7 days' notice.
Cost questions, answered
How much does it cost to hire an automation developer?
My work runs $60/hour with a 5-hour minimum, or a fixed price from $2,500 for a scoped project delivered in 2-4 weeks. Ongoing retainers start at $3,500/month. You get an exact quote within 48 hours of a free discovery call.
Do you charge hourly or fixed price?
Both, and I recommend whichever fits. Fixed price is best once the scope is clear: you know the number upfront and I carry the risk of it taking longer. Hourly suits small fixes, consults, or work where the scope is genuinely unknown.
What drives the price of an automation project?
The number of workflows, how many tools they connect, whether it needs self-hosting, and how much custom logic or AI is involved. A single lead-routing workflow is very different from a multi-system pipeline with error handling and an AI agent.
Is there a guarantee if it doesn't work out?
Yes, the first week of any project is refundable. If we're not a fit after the first sprint, we part with a full refund for that week. Retainers can be cancelled any month with 7 days' notice.
How does this compare to hiring an agency or a full-time employee?
You get one senior engineer who builds automation, ads, and web, without an agency's overhead or a full-time salary, benefits, and ramp-up. For most teams a fixed-price build plus an optional retainer is far cheaper than either.
Do I pay for tools like n8n or Vapi.ai separately?
Yes. My fee covers the build; third-party costs (self-hosted n8n server, GoHighLevel, Vapi.ai and telephony usage, API fees) are billed by those providers directly and are usually modest. I'll estimate them upfront so there are no surprises.
Get an exact number
Tell me what you need automated. Within 48 hours of a free call you'll have a fixed scope and a fixed price, no obligation.