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Why is there a range and not one price?
We do not sell a voice agent as a fixed package, so there is no single figure to quote. An agent that answers out-of-hours calls and takes a message is a small piece of work. An agent that answers, qualifies, books into three diaries and transfers callers to the right person is several times the work.
Before the audit you get a range. After it you get a written scope that lists the call types, the systems connected and the handover rules, with one fixed price against it. Larger custom projects that go beyond a scoped build are priced separately.
What moves the cost of a voice agent up or down?
Check each row against your own phones. The more rows that land on the right-hand side, the higher in the range your build will sit.
| Cost driver | What it means | Effect on price |
|---|---|---|
| Number of call types | A new enquiry, a booking, a reschedule and an opening-hours question are four different conversations. Each one is written, approved by you and tested. | Lower: one or two call types. Higher: every extra one. |
| Calendar connection | The agent checks availability and books while the caller is still on the line. | Lower: one diary and one appointment type. Higher: several staff, sites or appointment lengths with different rules. |
| CRM connection | The recording, a written summary and the caller's answers are saved against the contact. | Lower: write a summary into one system. Higher: look the caller up first and update existing records. |
| Handover rules | When the agent passes the call to a person, who it goes to, and what happens if nobody picks up. | Lower: one number and one rule. Higher: different people by call type or time of day, with a message taken as the fallback. |
| Approved information | The facts the agent is allowed to give: services, locations, hours, and any prices you are happy to share. | Lower: a short list that rarely changes. Higher: a long list, or details that change often and need a way to keep them current. |
| Call volume | How many calls the agent takes and how long they last. | No effect on the build. It raises or lowers the running costs. |
How to keep it down: start with the calls you miss today, such as evenings and lunchtimes, and one call type. Add the rest once the call summaries show the agent is handling those properly.
The three costs to budget for
1. The one-off build
This is the scoped price. It is paid 50% upfront and 50% on launch. The agent is built in your own accounts, so you own the code and the call data.
2. Running costs
Phone minutes and AI usage are billed by the providers and paid from your accounts, not through us. We do not quote their prices here, because they set them and change them. During scoping we work out an expected monthly figure with you from your real call numbers and average call length.
3. Optional ongoing support
Your team can run the agent without us. If you want someone to review calls, adjust the call flows and add call types, Run & Improve is £1,000, £2,000 or £4,000 a month depending on the plan. It has a three-month minimum, then runs monthly with 30 days notice.
Why the agent answers calls and does not make them
We build voice agents that answer calls. We do not build automated outbound calling. Under the UK's PECR rules, as set out in the ICO's guidance on telephone marketing, automated marketing calls need the person's specific prior consent. General marketing consent is not enough.
Reminders and follow-ups still happen, by text and email, through our follow-up and nurture work. That keeps the voice agent build to the calls that come in.
When a cheaper option is enough
A custom voice agent is the wrong purchase in these cases.
- You miss a handful of calls a week. A voicemail that someone checks twice a day costs nothing.
- You only need messages taken. A ready-made answering product or a call-answering service does that without a build. You need custom work when the agent has to book into your diary and log into your CRM.
- Your enquiries arrive in writing. If people message you far more than they ring, a chatbot is the better first step. See chatbot vs voice agent.
- Your call handling is still changing. If the questions your team asks callers change every week, settle them first. An agent built on a moving process needs rebuilding.
If one of these fits, we will say so on the first call.
How the price gets fixed
- Discovery call. You tell us how many calls you get, when you miss them and what a good call sounds like. You leave with a range.
- Paid audit. We map how the business runs, the tools it uses and where work gets stuck, including what happens to a call from the first ring to the booking. The written report arrives within 10 working days.
- Written scope. Call types, connections, handover rules, the timeline and one fixed price. Nothing is built before you sign it.
- Build and test. We test with real cases, awkward cases and failure paths before a single caller hears the agent. Our guide on how to test an AI agent before customers shows what that involves.
- Launch in stages. The agent goes live on a slice of calls first. We train your team and hand over the documentation.
What the agent can do on a call is covered on our voice agents page. Where it should hand over to a person is covered in the AI receptionist guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI voice agent cost to build?
It is priced as a scoped build. For US businesses the same range is $10,000 to $30,000, with the audit at $5,000. Where your agent sits depends on call types, connections and handover rules.
Why can you not give an exact price before the audit?
Because the price follows the call flows and connections, and those are not known until we have mapped your calls. A figure given earlier would be a guess that either pads the price or misses work.
What does a voice agent cost to run each month?
That depends on how many calls it takes and how long they are. The providers bill your accounts directly, and the scope sets out an expected figure based on your own call numbers.
Does a busy phone line make the build more expensive?
No. Volume changes the running costs. The build price follows how many kinds of call the agent handles and what it connects to.
Do callers know they are speaking to an AI?
Yes. The systems we build tell people they are automated, answer only from information you have approved, say when they do not know and hand over to a person.
Can the agent make outbound calls?
No. We build voice agents that answer calls. Reminders and follow-ups go by text and email, and we do not build automated outbound calling, which UK PECR rules restrict heavily.
Do we have to take a support plan?
No. Support and improvements are optional and priced separately from the build. You receive documentation at handover so your team can run the agent.