Pricing
We quote per project, not per hour on a rate card. Here is exactly what moves the number.
Nub Labs prices custom software and AI projects per engagement rather than by rate card. Cost is driven by scope: how many workflows are involved, how deep the integrations go, what has to be migrated, and what compliance requirements apply. We quote a fixed price after a free 30-minute scoping call, and we use weekly milestones instead when the product is still evolving.
What drives cost
Six things that move the number
Integration depth
Connecting to one system is a different build from syncing bi-directionally across a CRM, a telephony stack and a billing platform. Integrations are usually the largest single factor.
Number of workflows
A single inbound voice agent or one automated report is a focused build. Multi-workflow deployments with routing, escalation and fallbacks are a different scale of work.
Data migration
Moving history out of a legacy system, reconciling inconsistent records and preserving relationships often takes longer than the feature work it supports.
Compliance requirements
Call recording consent, data residency, audit trails and access controls all add design and review work. Insurance and healthcare engagements usually carry some of this.
How settled the scope is
A defined specification can be quoted fixed-price. A product still being discovered is better served by milestones, because a fixed price on an unknown scope is priced for the worst case.
Existing infrastructure
Building alongside a documented, maintained system is faster than working around one nobody owns any more. We audit what is there before quoting.
How we get to a number
Scoping and quoting
Scoping call
A free 30-minute call. We ask what you are trying to change about how the business runs, not which features you want. Often the answer is smaller than the brief.
Written proposal
Scope, deliverables, assumptions and what is explicitly out of scope, with a price. If we think you should not build the thing, the proposal says that instead.
Build in phases
You see working software early rather than at the end. Each phase has a deliverable you can use and judge.
FAQ
Common questions
Why is there no price list on this page?
Because any number we published would be wrong for someone. We work with clients in several markets, and the scope of custom work varies enormously - the same category of project can differ by an order of magnitude depending on integrations and compliance. A scoping call produces a real number faster than a rate card would.
Do you work fixed-price or time and materials?
Both, chosen by how settled the scope is. For a well-defined project we prefer fixed price, so you know what you are paying before we start. For an evolving product we use weekly milestones with a clear scope agreed at each stage.
What happens on the scoping call?
We ask about the process you are trying to change, what you have already tried, what systems are involved, and who has to use the result. It takes about 30 minutes and there is no cost. You leave with a view on whether the project is worth doing, including when our answer is that it is not.
Do you charge for a proposal?
No. The scoping call and the written proposal are free. You only pay once work is agreed and starts.
Are there ongoing costs after launch?
Sometimes, and we are explicit about them up front. Third-party platform usage such as voice minutes, LLM API calls or hosting is billed by those providers directly, not marked up by us. Ongoing maintenance is optional and quoted separately.
What is the smallest project you take on?
We take on focused work such as a single automation, an architecture review or one integration. What we avoid is work where the coordination cost outweighs the value of the result. If that is the case we will say so on the call.
What every engagement includes
- A named project manager and senior engineers, not a rotating bench
- QA as part of the build rather than a phase at the end
- Documentation written for whoever maintains the system next
- Code handover and a walkthrough, so you are not locked to us
- Deployment and the infrastructure setup that supports it
Get a real number
A free 30-minute scoping call, then a written proposal with a fixed price. No cost either way.
Book a call