Everyone wants to know "how much does automation cost?" before the first conversation. Fair enough.
But it's like asking "how much does a car cost?" The answer is $2,000 or $200,000 depending on what you need.
Here's a realistic breakdown based on projects I've actually built.
Price Ranges
Simple Automations: $1,500 - $4,000
What you get: Single workflow connecting 2-3 tools. Basic logic. Standard integrations.
Examples:
- Form submission → CRM → email notification
- New customer → welcome email sequence
- Daily report pulled and emailed
Timeline: 1-2 weeks
Medium Automations: $4,000 - $10,000
What you get: Multiple workflows, conditional logic, error handling, documentation.
Examples:
- Lead routing based on territory/deal size
- Customer email automation (9+ scenarios like Modern Bungalow)
- Multi-platform reporting automation
Timeline: 2-4 weeks
Complex Automations: $10,000 - $25,000+
What you get: Custom software, AI integration, complex business logic, ongoing support.
Examples:
- AI product listing system (CR Deals - 50-100 products daily)
- Custom inventory system with mobile app (Hollow Bamboo)
- AI data analysis pipeline (Revolut)
Timeline: 4-8 weeks
How to Calculate ROI
The formula is simple:
Hours saved per week x Hourly cost x 52 weeks = Annual savings
If automation saves 10 hours/week at $30/hour effective cost:
10 x $30 x 52 = $15,600/year in savings
A $5,000 automation project pays for itself in about 4 months.
Real Examples
CR Deals: Invested ~$8,000 in AI product listing automation. Saves $52,000/year. ROI in under 2 months.
Modern Bungalow: Invested ~$4,000 in email automation. Saves 15+ hours monthly (worth ~$450). ROI in about 9 months.
Kingfisher Ads: Invested ~$2,500 in reporting automation. Saves 3+ hours monthly. ROI in about 6 weeks.
When Automation Doesn't Make Sense
Not everything should be automated. Skip it if:
- The task is rare. Automating something you do twice a year isn't worth it.
- The process isn't stable. If you're still figuring out the workflow, don't automate it yet.
- The volume is too low. 30 minutes/week probably isn't worth a $3,000 project.
- Human judgment is required. Some decisions need a person.
What's Included (And What's Not)
Typically included:
- Discovery and planning
- Build and testing
- Documentation
- Training
- 30 days of support post-launch
Usually extra:
- Ongoing maintenance
- Major changes after launch
- Third-party tool subscriptions
- Infrastructure costs (hosting for n8n, etc.)
How to Get Started
Before asking "how much will this cost?", know:
- What tasks are eating your time
- How many hours/week you spend on them
- What tools you're currently using
- What the ideal outcome looks like
With that information, I can give you a realistic scope and ROI calculation.
Ready to figure out if automation makes sense for your business? Book a call and we'll do the math together.