How long does an AI project take?

Most projects finish in under 30 days. A workshop is a 1 to 3 hour session scheduled within a week or two. A readiness assessment takes 1 to 2 weeks. A Copilot setup takes 1 to 3 weeks. Custom builds run 2 to 4 weeks per phase, and larger initiatives are broken into short delivery phases rather than one long implementation.

What is the cheapest way to start with RootedAI?

A workshop at $750, or a small custom build starting at $1,000. Both are fixed-scope and deliberately small, so you can judge how we work before committing to a larger engagement.

Do you charge hourly or by project?

Engagements are scoped and priced as a whole rather than billed by the hour, so the number you approve is the number you pay. Ongoing partnerships are a flat monthly fee.

What drives the price up or down within a range?

Number of systems and integrations involved, how accessible and clean the underlying data is, governance and security requirements, how many teams need training, and whether the result is an internal tool or a customer-facing product.

Are there ongoing costs after a build?

You pay your own model, hosting, and license costs directly to those vendors, because the accounts are yours. Continued work with us is optional and covered by the monthly partnership if you want it.

Do you require a long-term contract?

No. Project engagements end when the agreed scope is delivered, and the monthly partnership runs month to month.

Is pricing different outside Kansas City?

No. RootedAI works with organizations across the United States and does not price differently based on location. Travel is the only variable, and only when you want someone in the room.

How much does AI consulting cost?

Real RootedAI price ranges and timelines, published so you can budget before you call.

AI consulting at RootedAI costs $750 to $2,500 for a workshop, $1,000 to $5,000 for a readiness assessment, $1,500 to $5,000 for a Microsoft 365 and Copilot setup, from $1,000 (typically $3,500 to $25,000 or more) for a custom AI agent or software build, and $1,000 to $5,000 per month for an ongoing coaching partnership. Most projects are delivered in under 30 days, and every engagement gets a written scope and price before work starts.

Cost and timeline by engagement type

RootedAI engagement types with price ranges and typical timelines
Engagement	Investment	Typical timeline	Best for
AI workshop / enablement session	$750 - $2,500	1 to 3 hours, usually scheduled and delivered within 1 to 2 weeks	Leadership teams and staff who need practical grounding before committing budget
AI readiness assessment	$1,000 - $5,000	1 to 2 weeks from kickoff to a prioritized roadmap	Organizations with more candidate use cases than budget and no ranked view of them
Microsoft 365 and Copilot setup	$1,500 - $5,000	1 to 3 weeks, depending on tenant complexity and governance requirements	Companies holding Copilot licenses that are seeing little real usage
Custom AI agent or software build	From $1,000, typically $3,500 - $25,000+	Typically 2 to 4 weeks per delivery phase; focused agents, automations, and applications are generally delivered within 30 days	A specific workflow that is worth automating and does not fit an off-the-shelf tool
Monthly coaching / strategic partnership	$1,000 - $5,000 per month	Ongoing, month to month	Teams that want continuous progress without hiring an internal AI function

Ranges are what RootedAI actually charges. You get a written scope and price before any work starts, and we will say when the work is not worth doing.

What each engagement includes

Scope included in each RootedAI engagement type and what is scoped separately
Engagement	Included scope	What moves the price
AI workshop / enablement session	Focused session for leadership or a working team Practical AI education tied to how your people actually work Live use-case identification with the room Workflow recommendations and a short list of next steps	Priced by audience size, session length, and whether the material is tailored to a specific department or delivered on site.
AI readiness assessment	Review of current processes, technology, and data Security posture and team readiness review Identification of high-value AI opportunities Prioritized roadmap with recommended next steps	Priced by the number of processes and systems in scope and how many teams we interview.
Microsoft 365 and Copilot setup	Tenant configuration and Copilot readiness review Permissions, governance, and security considerations before rollout Copilot adoption planning and workflow setup Team enablement so Copilot replaces steps rather than sitting alongside them	Larger environments, and deeper automation such as custom Copilot Studio agents, are scoped separately.
Custom AI agent or software build	Custom AI agents and workflow automation Internal tools and customer-facing applications Integrations with the systems you already run Purpose-built software you own outright	Larger or more complex systems are scoped individually and broken into short delivery phases rather than one long implementation.
Monthly coaching / strategic partnership	Ongoing AI strategy and implementation guidance Workflow optimization and adoption support Technical architecture input as systems grow Continuous identification of new opportunities	Priced by the amount of hands-on delivery included alongside advisory time.

Why most of our work finishes in under 30 days

RootedAI is built around rapid, practical implementation. Focused agents, automations, prototypes, and applications are generally delivered within a month, because the people scoping the work are the people building it.

Larger initiatives are broken into short delivery phases rather than one long implementation. That keeps something useful in your hands every few weeks and keeps you free to stop, change direction, or expand based on what the last phase proved.

What sits outside our fee

Model usage, hosting, and any software licenses are billed to you directly by those vendors, because the accounts stay in your name. RootedAI does not resell licensing and earns nothing from your seat count, so recommendations are made on fit alone.

Pricing questions we get asked

How much does AI consulting cost?: At RootedAI, a workshop runs $750 to $2,500, an AI readiness assessment runs $1,000 to $5,000, a Microsoft 365 and Copilot setup runs $1,500 to $5,000, custom AI agent and software builds start at $1,000 and typically land between $3,500 and $25,000 or more, and an ongoing coaching partnership runs $1,000 to $5,000 per month. Every engagement gets a written scope and price before work starts.
How long does an AI project take?: Most projects finish in under 30 days. A workshop is a 1 to 3 hour session scheduled within a week or two. A readiness assessment takes 1 to 2 weeks. A Copilot setup takes 1 to 3 weeks. Custom builds run 2 to 4 weeks per phase, and larger initiatives are broken into short delivery phases rather than one long implementation.
What is the cheapest way to start with RootedAI?: A workshop at $750, or a small custom build starting at $1,000. Both are fixed-scope and deliberately small, so you can judge how we work before committing to a larger engagement.
Do you charge hourly or by project?: Engagements are scoped and priced as a whole rather than billed by the hour, so the number you approve is the number you pay. Ongoing partnerships are a flat monthly fee.
What drives the price up or down within a range?: Number of systems and integrations involved, how accessible and clean the underlying data is, governance and security requirements, how many teams need training, and whether the result is an internal tool or a customer-facing product.
Are there ongoing costs after a build?: You pay your own model, hosting, and license costs directly to those vendors, because the accounts are yours. Continued work with us is optional and covered by the monthly partnership if you want it.
Do you require a long-term contract?: No. Project engagements end when the agreed scope is delivered, and the monthly partnership runs month to month.
Is pricing different outside Kansas City?: No. RootedAI works with organizations across the United States and does not price differently based on location. Travel is the only variable, and only when you want someone in the room.

The bottom line

You can start with RootedAI for under $1,000 and know within a month whether the work pays for itself. Tell us the process that is costing you time and we will scope it in writing, price it, and say plainly if it is not worth building.

Get a scoped price