Custom AI systems are project-priced, not retainer. A typical chatbot + RAG pipeline ships in 6 weeks for $18,000–$40,000 depending on scope. Multi-agent systems, self-hosted deployments, and enterprise integrations scope separately.
Every engagement starts with a $3,500 architecture audit (credited to the build if you proceed) where we map your use case to the right toolchain, draft the measurement plan, and flag the 3-5 decisions that determine whether this becomes a production system or a pilot that dies. No build commits until the audit is done — we'd rather disqualify a bad fit than ship an AI system you can't maintain.
Ongoing maintenance retainer starts at $2,500/mo for eval runs, prompt iteration, model upgrades, and vector store refreshes.