Cost

What MEAT AI actually costs.

Every stage below is priced up front, from a $400 Discovery call to owning the hardware outright. Then run your own numbers: the calculator compares owning against renting cloud AI at your volume.

Cost of services

Priced by stage, so you know what you're signing up for.

You're never committing to a big build on a promise. Stop after any stage.

0

Reach out

Find out how AI can help take your business to the next level. A few common starting points:

  • A centralized data access point for better record consolidation, built on the record keeping and invoicing tools you already use.
  • A phone line that stays open when no one's there to pick up, so you capture that first engagement with a customer.
Free
1

Discovery

We start small. We look at where your customer info actually lives and map out exactly what's possible for your business, then hand you a plain findings summary and a recommendation. This is how we both make sure it's a fit before anyone spends real money. Typically billed at $50 an hour, about 8 hours on average.

~$400 avg
2

Pilot

We build it for real, on one part of your business, using your actual data, and you watch it work on a live call. This is where you see the moment happen with your own customers.

Hardware costs depending on set up · average build
RTX 5060 Ti~$600
Mini PC~$900
GPU dock w/ power supply~$180
Total~$1,680
$3,000 + hardware
3

Deploy

Once you've seen it work, we install it across your business, connect it to your existing records and phone line, and confirm everything works with your team before we call it done. Typically billed at $75 an hour, about 4 hours on average.

~$300 avg
4

Support

Once you're live, I'll make sure your system stays operational. We also offer continuing support for your business. Pick the level of ongoing care that fits, and change tiers at any time.

Nothing
$0/mo

Your system keeps running on its own and should only need attention if your own systems change. Support after that point is billed hourly: $100 an hour, plus a $50 travel fee within the Des Moines metro area.

Bronze
$100/mo

Continued updates and a monthly on site visit to check and update your system. Includes 2 hours of new system configuration work every 6 months.

Enroll for 3 months and get 25% off your Pilot program cost. Hardware is not included in the discount. The Discovery fee is minimal if you're building within the same environment.

Gold
$150/mo

Secure monitoring with updates pushed to your system automatically once they're available and stable. Includes up to 4 hours of system configuration every 6 months.

Enroll for 3 months and get 25% off your Pilot program cost. Hardware is not included in the discount. The Discovery fee is minimal if you're building within the same environment.

From $0/mo
Other ways I can help

Smaller projects, sized to fit.

Not every job needs a full on premise AI build. These are common projects I take on.

Google app builds

From $500

Custom apps built on Google's platform, set up to fit how your business already runs.

Example: Easy Accounting App →

Web page design

Starting at $500

A clean, fast website that represents your business well and gets people to reach out.

Example: This Website →

Security testing

Starting at $1,000

Practical vulnerability testing on your systems, with plain language findings and fixes, not just a scan report. If no vulnerabilities can be found, nothing is billed. Includes suggestions for patching any vulnerabilities discovered.

NAS storage

Starting at $1,000 + hardware

Private, on site file storage and backup for your business, set up and configured for how you actually use it.

Security builds

Starting at $1,000 + hardware

Firewall hardware set up and ongoing monitoring by you, sized for a small business network instead of an enterprise IT department. Monthly plans are available for remote monitoring. Or ask about having a dedicated offline AI device built to constantly monitor your network traffic and keep you in the loop.

Programming and content

Hourly + base fee

Programming, debugging, or content creation, billed on a per hour basis with a base cost. Rates vary by task. Documentation is put together and agreed on before any work or billing starts.

Own vs. rent

What would running your own AI actually cost?

Cloud AI bills you forever, per token. A machine on your premises is a one-time buy plus electricity. Here's the honest math — adjust every number to your situation.

Your numbers

Every field is editable. Defaults are ballpark — swap in real figures.
Usage
tok/mo
~750 words ≈ 1,000 tokens. A busy support desk runs tens of millions/mo.
Renting (cloud API)
$/1M tok
Blended in+out. Check current provider pricing.
Owning (your box)
$
months
tok/sec
watts
watts
$/kWh
Iowa averages roughly $0.11–0.14/kWh. Use the client's real rate.
Verdict at this volume
Rent · cloud
/mo
Per token
Scales with everytoken, forever
Own · on-prem
/mo
Hardware (amortized)
Electricity
Rent
Own
Monthly difference
Hardware payback
time to recoup the box from savings
Break-even volume
where owning starts beating renting
Energy used
kWh/mo running this workload
Beyond the dollars

Cost isn't the only reason to own it.

  • Your customer data never leaves the building — no third party ever sees it.
  • Flat, predictable cost. No per-token meter running while you sleep.
  • Works offline. No outage, rate limit, or price hike from a vendor you don't control.
  • For anyone handling customer PII, that control is often worth more than the raw savings.

Ready to see what this costs for your business?

Start with a Discovery call. It's the cheapest way to find out exactly what you'd be signing up for.

Start a discovery call