What does a custom tool cost?
A straight answer

The question everyone asks and almost nobody answers directly. Everywhere it’s “request a quote”. They’re partly right, because every job is different. But I can tell you exactly what drives the number, so you know what you’re looking at when a quote lands, from me or from anyone else.

What drives the cost

• The size of the first version. A tool that solves one problem costs little. One that solves ten costs a lot. That’s why we cut the fat together before we ever talk price.
• Connections to other systems. Reading from an Excel file is simple. Syncing with your invoicing software, your bank, and three other apps is not. Every connection adds work.
• How clean the process is. If the steps are clear, the cost is predictable. If they change every month, I’ll say it upfront: stabilise first, automate after.

Why you won’t see a number here

Because a number without knowing your problem would be either a lie or padded enough to cover anything. What I can give you is the benchmark: not “how much it costs”, but how much not having it costs you every month. Hours of manual work times salary, mistakes you fix by hand, customers lost while waiting. When the tool pays for itself in a few months, the decision is easy. When it doesn’t, I’ll tell you before you spend a euro.

How you keep the risk small

You don’t need to bet on one big project. The first version is small and you see it working early, so you know what you’re getting before the investment deepens. And the code is yours from day one: if tomorrow you want to continue with someone else, you can. That alone changes the negotiation.

The calculation worth doing

Take the task that steals the most hours from your month and count them. That’s half the answer. Send me the other half and we’ll work out the number together.