What is this task really costing you?
Pick one task your team repeats every week. Enter how often it happens and how long it takes. You'll see what it costs per month and per year, and whether automating it is worth it.
How the number is calculated
Times per week, multiplied by minutes each time, by the number of people and by 4.33 weeks in a month. That gives hours per month. Multiply by the loaded hourly cost and you have the monthly cost. Nothing hidden, nothing estimated for you.
Payback compares that monthly cost with what a single-process system usually costs us to build, $1,200 to $2,500 at a fixed price. Tool subscriptions like n8n or Zapier are extra and usually small.
What this calculator leaves out
Only time is counted. In practice the bigger cost is usually what slips: the lead that waited a day for a reply, the follow-up nobody sent, the failed payment noticed after the subscription was canceled. If a task has those risks, the real number is higher than what you see above.
When it isn't worth automating
- The task costs less than about $150 a month.
- It happens a few times a year.
- It's different every time and needs judgment at every step.
- The process itself is still changing. Fix the process first, then automate it.
For those, a checklist or a template does the job. If you're not sure which side a task is on, that's exactly what the first call is for. See how we price and run projects.
Questions, answered.
What is a loaded hourly cost?
It's what an hour of someone's time really costs you, not just their wage. A common rule of thumb is the hourly wage plus 25 to 40 percent for payroll taxes, benefits and overhead. If you're not sure, use the wage and treat the result as the low end.
Should I include my own time as the owner?
Yes. Your hour is usually the most expensive one in the business. Use what you'd pay someone to replace you on that task, or what an hour of selling is worth to you.
When is automation not worth it?
When a task costs less than about $150 a month, happens rarely, or changes every time. Those are better fixed with a checklist or a template. We'll say so on a call.
Where do the build prices come from?
Single-process systems we build usually cost $1,200 to $2,500 at a fixed price. Bigger systems cost more, and the exact number comes after we map the process.
Does this count mistakes and missed follow-ups?
No, only time. Missed follow-ups, late payments and copy errors usually cost more than the hours, so the real number is higher than what you see here.
Got a number that stings?
Bring the task to a 30-minute call. We'll tell you what we'd build, what it would cost, and whether it's worth it at all.
Not ready for a call? Describe one process in writing and we'll reply with what we'd build.