How much does an AI consultant cost in the UK?

How much does an AI consultant cost?

For a small business, my prices start from £495 for an audit, from £1,500 for a build and from £95 a month for support. Large firms price differently, usually for bigger companies. Your exact figure depends on the job, and I give it in writing after a call.

Cost pages online rarely agree with each other. I read two UK pages from 2026, one from an agency and one from a consultant. Both sell the service, and neither explains where its numbers come from. That is why I would not compare headline figures. Compare what each quote actually covers.

If you run a business with 1 to 20 people, most large-firm pricing will not apply to you. It is built for companies with their own IT teams. The rest of this guide is about the smaller end, where one person can often do the whole job. For what the work involves, see my overview of AI consultancy UK.

What drives the cost to hire an AI consultant?

A sixth factor is risk. If the automation touches money, client records or anything regulated, more time goes into checks, limits on what it may do and a person approving the output. A quote that skips this should make you cautious.

• Scope: one weekly report is a small job. A process that touches enquiries, quotes, invoices and payment chasing is several jobs.
• Number of systems: every app that has to be connected adds work, especially older ones with no proper connection to anything else.
• Data quality: if the information is in scattered spreadsheets, scans and inboxes, tidying it comes first, and that takes time.
• Who does the work: a solo specialist, a boutique firm and a Big 4 firm charge very differently for similar results, because of the people and overheads behind them.
• What happens afterwards: a handover costs less than a service where someone keeps it running for you.

A sixth factor is risk. If the automation touches money, client records or anything regulated, more time goes into checks, limits on what it may do and a person approving the output. A quote that skips this should make you cautious.

• Scope: one weekly report is a small job. A process that touches enquiries, quotes, invoices and payment chasing is several jobs.
• Number of systems: every app that has to be connected adds work, especially older ones with no proper connection to anything else.
• Data quality: if the information is in scattered spreadsheets, scans and inboxes, tidying it comes first, and that takes time.
• Who does the work: a solo specialist, a boutique firm and a Big 4 firm charge very differently for similar results, because of the people and overheads behind them.
• What happens afterwards: a handover costs less than a service where someone keeps it running for you.

A sixth factor is risk. If the automation touches money, client records or anything regulated, more time goes into checks, limits on what it may do and a person approving the output. That is time well spent, and a quote that skips it should make you cautious.

What kinds of engagement are there, and how do they compare?

For a small business, the work I do falls into three shapes. They differ in what you get, how the price is set and how long you are tied in.

You do not have to start with an audit. If you already know the job, go straight to a build. For what an audit involves, see what is an AI audit.

What do I charge?

These are my "from" prices, as of October 2026. Each job gets a written quote after a call.

• AI audit: from £495. If you go ahead with a build within 60 days, the audit fee comes off the build price.
• Builds: from £1,500. You pay 50% upfront and 50% at go-live.
• Support: from £95 a month. It covers monitoring, fixes and up to an hour of changes a month, with one month's notice to cancel.

There are two ways to run what I build. It can sit in your own n8n, Make or Zapier account, so you own it. Or I run it for you on a care plan. The pricing page shows how the pieces fit together.

What are the running costs after the build?

Besides the consultant's fee, an automation has running costs. Ask about them before you agree to anything.

• The automation platform, such as n8n, Make or Zapier, which usually charges by plan and by how much it runs.
• The AI service it calls, such as Claude or OpenAI, which usually charges for how much text it processes.
• Any extra services it needs. For an AI receptionist, call-minute costs are quoted separately.
• Support or a care plan, if you choose one.

If it runs in your own accounts, you pay the platform and AI providers directly. I quote the running costs for your job after the call. The AI for small business guide covers the platforms and AI services in more detail.

When do you not need an AI consultant?

Quite often. Paying for help only makes sense when the saving or the risk is bigger than the fee.

• A tool you already pay for does the job. Many accounting, email and booking apps now have AI features built in, so check those first.
• The task is rare. Something you do once a month and that takes twenty minutes will never repay a build.
• You are happy doing it yourself. A simple automation in Zapier or Make is learnable, and plenty of owners enjoy it.
• The job is not clear yet. If nobody can describe the steps, automating it will only make a muddle faster.
• You cannot yet trust the information. If the data is wrong at the source, fix that first.

The test I use is simple. Can you name a job that takes several hours a week and looks much the same each time? If yes, it is worth a conversation. If not, you probably do not need me yet. On a call I will say so honestly.

How do you compare quotes from different consultants?

Compare what is delivered, not the headline number. Two quotes of the same size can cover very different amounts of work.

1. Check what is included. Does the price cover testing, documentation and handover, or only the build?
2. Find out who does the work. The person you meet on the call should be able to say who builds it.
3. Ask how you pay. Know when each payment falls due and what it is for.

My questions to ask before hiring an AI automation agency goes through these in more detail.

Is an AI consultant worth the cost?

It can be, if the job is repeated, takes real hours and looks the same each time. It is a poor buy if the saving is vague. Estimate the hours the job takes now, put a value on them, and compare that with the build price plus a year of running costs.

Be wary of a payback figure given before anyone has seen how you work. A believable estimate comes from your own numbers, and the AI audit exists to produce exactly that. If you would rather talk first, arrange a call.