How Much Does AI Automation Cost? Prices, Cost Components and a Worked Example
How much does AI automation really cost? Real prices for AI agents, every cost component, a worked ROI example and funding options in Bavaria, Germany.
AI for craft businesses
You're on site.The office still runs.
In skilled trades, AI mainly takes office work off your hands: answering calls when nobody can pick up, sorting enquiries and suggesting appointments, drafting quotes from measurements and photos, and writing invoices once a job is done. We build AI agents for this and use pingo, our phone assistant. The craft stays with you; the paperwork shrinks.
Typical workflows
Where AI helpstrade businesses most.
These are the tasks many businesses handle in the evening or at the weekend. That is exactly where we start.
Phone, while you work
pingo answers calls, handles standard questions about services and availability from your approved knowledge, takes down the request and sends you a summary.
AI customer service with pingoEnquiries and appointments
Enquiries from email, web form and phone land in one place. The agent asks for missing details such as address or photos and suggests suitable appointments.
Quotes from measurements and photos
Measurements, photos and a voice note turn into a draft quote with items from your catalogue. You check the prices and send it.
AI quote creationInvoices and supplier bills
Outgoing invoices are built from timesheets and materials. Supplier invoices are read, checked and prepared for bookkeeping.
AI invoice processingOn-site documentation
Photos and voice notes from the phone are matched to the right job and summarised into a clean report for the customer or the handover.
Document processingPre-sort emails
Appointment questions, supplier queries, documents from customers: the agent sorts them, answers the routine and passes the rest to you.
Email automation
Example calculation
One quote after a site visit,written twice.
How the same workflow can look today and with a digital colleague. The times are assumptions for a mid-sized quote.
Today, in the office at night
- Gather notes and photos10 min
- Pick items and calculate quantities25 min
- Write and format the quote15 min
- Send it and note a follow-up5 min
per quote55 min
With a digital colleague
- Read, pick items, create draftautomatic
- Check draft, adjust prices, send10 min
per quote≈ 10 min
Example calculation: with ten quotes a week, that is around seven and a half hours less office work. We measure your real numbers in the pilot.
Skills shortage
Skilled workers belongon site.
When people are short, the office is usually the first thing to slip: callbacks, quotes, invoices. An AI agent doesn't replace a journeyman, but it takes routine off the owner and the office. That leaves more time for customers, apprentices and the actual work. Read more in our article on AI against the skills shortage.
- No more missed calls, even while you work
- Quotes the same day instead of at the weekend
- Invoices right after the job, which helps cash flow
- Know-how of experienced staff stays in the business
How it works
No new software.Just less routine.
The agent works with what you already use: phone, email, photos from your phone and your trade software, as long as it has an interface.
1
Trigger
A call, an email, a photo from the phone or a completed job starts the workflow.
2
Understand
The agent reads, listens or analyses photos and asks for anything missing.
3
Prepare
It drafts the appointment, quote, invoice or report.
4
Approve
You check and send. You decide what the agent may do on its own.
Process & pricing
Start small,notice it fast.
Step 1
30 min · freeIntro call
Tell us where the office loses the most time. We show you what pays off first.
Step 2
2 to 4 weeks · from €2,500Pilot
We build the first agent for a real workflow, such as quotes or the phone, and measure the time saved.
Step 3
ongoing · from €250 / monthOperation
The agent runs in daily work. We look after it and add further workflows if you want.
All prices net, plus VAT. Team workshops: half day €2,750, full day €4,950.
Guides
More on this topicfrom our blog.
AI Agent vs. RPA: Which Fits Which Process?
AI agent vs. RPA: what is the difference, when does each fit and how do you combine them? With a comparison table, decision guide and how Zapier fits in.
AI Data Analysis in Business: From Data Silos to Better Decisions
How AI cleans, connects and clearly analyses scattered company data, and which steps you need to get started.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI worth it for small trade businesses?
Yes, as soon as office work repeats itself. Small businesses without a dedicated office benefit most when calls, quotes and invoices no longer wait until the evening. We start with a single workflow.
Can the AI really answer the phone?
Yes. Our phone assistant pingo answers calls, handles standard questions from your approved knowledge and summarises every conversation for you. Anything it can't answer comes to you as a callback request. More in our article on the AI voice assistant.
Will the AI write quotes with wrong prices?
The agent takes items and prices from your catalogue and creates a draft. You check it before it goes out, so pricing stays in your hands.
Does it work with our trade software?
If your software has an interface or an export, usually yes. We check this in the intro call. Where there is no interface, the agent works with email, file storage and documents.
What does it cost?
A pilot for one workflow starts at €2,500, operation at €250 per month. All prices net, plus VAT. How the numbers work out is shown in our article What does AI automation cost?.
Is there funding for this?
In Bavaria, small commercial businesses can apply for the Digitalbonus Bayern, which according to the programme website runs until the end of 2027. Important: you must apply before placing the order. Check whether your project qualifies with the responsible district government or your chamber of crafts.
