Custom AI development sounds expensive until you see what "custom" actually means for a small organization. Most of what I build lives in the $5,000–$20,000 range, one-time, and replaces something you were either paying ongoing for or doing painfully by hand.
Here are the seven kinds of apps I've built most often for the missing middle — with real price ranges, not brochure numbers.
The seven categories
- 01Custom GPT or Claude Project ($5K–$8K) — your org's style, taxonomy, and context bundled into a reusable assistant. Most common starting point.
- 02Document-to-document workflows ($6K–$10K) — intake form → structured summary → drafted follow-up. Reliable, well-scoped, immediately useful.
- 03Briefing tools on top of your docs ($7K–$12K) — Notebook-style interfaces over your org's actual library. Executives and board members love these.
- 04Light automation flows ($6K–$10K) — n8n or Zapier moving data between tools with one AI-powered step in the middle. Boring, valuable, stable.
- 05Classification & triage platforms ($10K–$16K) — like the university case study. Good fit when you have a clear taxonomy and volume.
- 06Client-or-donor-facing AI interfaces ($12K–$18K) — where the AI is visible to the public. Rare, careful work, higher disclosure requirements.
- 07Full bespoke small app ($15K–$20K+) — web interface, custom workflow, documentation, training. The top of my range; I'll refer you elsewhere above this.
What's included at every price point
- 01The tool is built in an account your org owns — not mine.
- 02Full documentation, written for your team.
- 03Training for at least two people on how to maintain and extend it.
- 0430 and 60-day check-ins, no additional fee.
- 05Every prompt, every example, every config — delivered to you.
Why the range is what it is
These prices reflect the real time these builds take when they're done properly, with documentation and handoff. They're also honest about who I am: a single consultant, not a shop with overhead.
Below $5,000, I'd rather teach you to build it yourself in a coaching session — it's the better use of both our time. Above $20,000, you need a real team.
“The goal isn't the cheapest build. The goal is the smallest build that actually solves the problem — and that you can maintain without me.”
Want to talk about where this fits for you?
Thirty minutes. No pitch, no slides. Tell me where your team is. I'll tell you honestly whether I can help.
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