How much does it cost to set up AI for a small trade business?
The cost depends on how many jobs you want AI to take on and how many of your tools it has to connect to, so there's no single number for every business. Most small trade businesses start with one or two tasks, like answering calls or chasing invoices, then add more once those are working. It should run inside the tools you already use, so you're not paying to retrain your whole team. The 2-minute AI check shows where to start so the scope fits your business.
Why there's no one-size answer
A sparky working alone and a builder running six sites at once don't need the same thing. So a flat figure would be wrong for most people reading it.
What you pay comes down to what you ask AI to do, and how tangled your current setup is. A clear scope gives you a clear cost. A vague one gives you a nasty surprise.
What actually drives the cost
Four things move it up or down.
The number of tasks. Answering calls is one job. Drafting quotes, chasing invoices and asking for Google reviews are three more. Each one adds some setup.
The tools it connects to. If your quotes, jobs and invoices already sit in something like Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, AI can plug in there. If everything lives in a notebook and your ute, there's tidy-up work first.
How much checking you want. Some tasks are low risk, like a review request. Others, like a quote or a payment reminder, should have a person approving before they go out. More approval steps means a bit more design up front.
Your size and job volume. More calls, more quotes and more projects mean more for the system to handle. For builders, scoring every project red, amber or green across safety, quality, time, cost and contracts also adds to the scope.
Start small and add as you go
You don't need to switch everything on at once. Pick the task that costs you the most time or money right now.
For many tradies that's missed calls. For others it's invoices sitting unpaid because nobody had time to follow up. Get that one working first. See how it sits with your crew and your customers. Then add the next.
Starting small keeps the spend tied to a real result. It also means you're never locked into something bigger than you need.
Costs people forget to ask about
The setup is only part of the picture. Before you agree to anything, ask:
Is there an ongoing fee? Most AI services run on a regular basis, not a one-off. Find out what's included.
Do I have to change how I work? If the answer is yes, count the time your team spends learning something new. That's a real cost. Good AI fits around you, not the other way round.
Who looks after it when something changes? Your pricing, your suppliers and your services will shift. Someone needs to keep the setup current.
Who approves what? You should stay in charge of anything important, like a quote going out or a firm message to a late payer. If the system sends everything on its own, that's a risk to your name.
Working out if it's worth it
Skip the sales pitch and do a quick sum of your own. How many calls go unanswered in a normal week? How long do quotes sit unwritten? How many invoices are overdue right now?
Each of those has a cost to your business, even if you've never added it up. If AI can take most of that load while you approve the important bits, the setup tends to make sense. If the gaps are small, you may only need one simple fix.
The quickest way to get a sensible scope is to look at your own business first. The 2-minute AI check asks a few questions about how you work and points to the tasks that fit best. From there, you can talk about what it would take to set up, with a clear idea of what you actually need.
Common questions
Do I need to buy new software to use AI?
Not usually. The aim is to build AI into the tools you already use, so your team keeps working the way they do now. Ask upfront whether anything new is needed, and who looks after it.
Is AI setup a one-off cost or ongoing?
It's often a mix of setup and a regular running fee. Ask for both to be explained clearly before you commit, including what's covered if something changes in your business.
Can I try one task first before committing to more?
Yes, and it's the sensible way to go. Start with the job that costs you the most time, like answering calls or chasing invoices, and add more once you've seen it work.
Will AI send quotes and invoices without me checking?
It doesn't have to. Anything important, like a quote or a payment reminder, should be approved by a person before it goes out. You decide how much checking you want.