What AI automation costs in 2026, in writing.
Most AI agencies ask for a call before they name a number. These are 12²'s list prices for every tier, what moves a project from one tier to the next, and what is billed on top.
Every 12² tier, with the price.
| Tier | Time | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottleneck Map | 2 weeks | $4,500 one department or location; $9,500 multi-location | Process map, starting numbers, ranked action list and a written blueprint with a fixed price per build. Credited in full to the build if you sign within 30 days. |
| Proof build | Set in your quote | $3,500 | One workflow on one data source, built on sample data first. For a first project with 12². |
| Routine Pack | No custom app | $6,500 | 5 to 10 AI skills or scheduled routines in your own AI workspace account, with a test set and one team session. |
| Core build | Set in your quote | $9,500 | One workflow end to end: integrations, a review queue for your people, logging and acceptance tests. |
| Product build | Set in your quote | $18,000–$28,000 | A field app, a customer portal or a multi-step system, with sign-in and an admin screen. |
| Full implementation | Phased | $40,000–$120,000 | Map, blueprint, phased builds and operation. Each phase $12,000–$25,000, committed one at a time. |
| AI front desk | Setup + monthly | $6,500 + $650/mo (Standard); $12,500 + $1,250/mo (Intake); $15,000 + $1,500/mo (Regulated) | Phone and web chat that books from your calendar and hands anything sensitive to your staff. |
| Run & Improve | Monthly, optional | $750/mo Care; $2,500/mo Operate; $5,000/mo Improve | Monitoring and fixes; test runs and re-tests when AI models change; a weekly bottleneck review and a new workflow each quarter. |
Four things decide which tier a job lands in.
- How many systems it touchesOne workflow on one data source fits a Proof build. Connecting several tools you already use, with a review queue and logging, is a Core build.
- Whether people need a screen of their ownA field app, a customer portal or anything with sign-in and an admin screen is a Product build.
- Whether it covers one job or the whole operationRunning a core process from intake to reporting is a Full implementation, built and paid one phase at a time.
- How much the conversation has to knowAn AI front desk that only books is Standard. Writing into your CRM or case system, bilingual calls and after-hours rules is Intake. Legal and healthcare scripting is Regulated.
What a first build costs in ten trades.
| Industry | Package | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbers | After-Hours Dispatch Desk | $6,500 + $650/mo |
| Salons & spas | AI front desk, Standard | $6,500 + $650/mo |
| Law firms | AI Intake Desk | $12,500 + $1,250/mo |
| Dental & health practices | AI front desk, Regulated | $15,000 + $1,500/mo |
| Commercial landscapers | Site-Walk-to-Estimate Assistant | $9,500 |
| Restoration and mitigation | Job File & Moisture Log | $9,500 |
| Machine and job shops | RFQ-to-Quote | $9,500 |
| Public adjusters | Claim File Builder | $18,000–$28,000 |
| Elevator companies | MCP Records & Callback Log | $18,000–$28,000 |
| Distributors | Distributor Quote Desk | $18,000–$28,000 |
Half at kickoff. Half when it passes.
Payment is 50% at kickoff and 50% on acceptance. 12² AI is run by William Addis, a sole proprietor, and your agreement is with him.
- Pay the second half when it passesEvery build is paid 50% at kickoff. The second 50% isn't due until the test cases agreed in writing pass.
- A free month if the metric missesWhere the Bottleneck Map recorded a starting number, one metric is agreed for the build. If it misses its target 30 days after launch, the next Run & Improve month is free.
- You own itCode, accounts, prompts and data sit in your name. You can take the system elsewhere at any time.
- No revenue promises12² does not promise revenue, because no one outside your business controls your sales.
Straight answers.
What is the cheapest way to start with 12²?
A Proof build at $3,500: one workflow on one data source, built on sample data first. Most clients start with the $4,500 Bottleneck Map instead, because it prices the right build.
Why is the Bottleneck Map paid?
Because a fixed price is only honest once the work is understood. The Map follows real jobs through your business and ends with a written blueprint that prices each build. Its fee is credited in full to the build if you sign within 30 days.
What costs are not in the fee?
AI, phone and software usage, billed at cost and estimated in writing in your proposal. Everything else in the agreed scope is in the fee.
Are there monthly fees?
Only if you choose them. Run & Improve is optional: Care $750/mo, Operate $2,500/mo, Improve $5,000/mo. An AI front desk has a monthly fee that covers monitoring, fixes and re-tests.
What if the build doesn't work?
The second 50% isn't due until the test cases agreed in writing pass.
Is an off-the-shelf tool cheaper?
Often, and if one fits, 12² will say so. A subscription tool costs far less and is the right answer for plenty of businesses. A custom build earns its price when the work has to run inside your own systems or follow your own rules.
Get a fixed price for your build.
A few lines on what the business does and which work takes too long is enough. You get a personal reply from 12² within one business day, then a free 20-minute call.