TL;DR: Most consultants hide their pricing until you're deep in conversation. Fresh Coast AI typically works with projects ranging from $5K-$55K depending on scope, and I publish that range because transparency builds trust, filters for the right fit, and respects your time. If the numbers don't work, you should know that before you call.
- Fresh Coast AI engagements typically range from $5K to $55K depending on company size and engagement length, published so you can plan before you call
- Hidden pricing creates information asymmetry that wastes both your time and the consultant's
- Ask any consultant: fixed price or estimate? What's included vs. extra? Do they earn vendor commissions?
- Published pricing is a signal of confidence in the work and respect for your time
I Have Been on the Buyer's Side
Before starting Fresh Coast AI, I sat on the buyer's side of consulting more than once. The experience was the same every time: smart firms, good reputations, and no way to find out what anything cost. No pricing on the website. No ballpark figures. Just contact forms and "Let's talk" buttons.
So you fill out forms. You take calls. You have exploratory conversations that feel like job interviews where nobody is being straight with you. Weeks later, you still don't know whether any of these firms are in your ballpark.
Pricing isn't simple. But a business owner with limited time deserves to know whether something is feasible before investing hours in conversations. I promised myself Fresh Coast AI would do better.
Why Most Consultants Keep Pricing Secret
Here's the thing: I don't think most consultants hide pricing out of malice. There's usually a business logic behind it.
The anchoring argument. Many consultants believe that if you don't know the price upfront, you'll value the conversation more. They get to explain the depth of the problem, the sophistication of the solution, and then anchor your expectations to a higher number. In theory, this works. You might justify paying $75K for something you would have dismissed at $40K if you'd known the price first.
The sticker shock concern. Some firms are genuinely worried that publishing a number scares people away before they understand the value. They think: "If they see $50K, they'll click away. But if we talk first, we can explain why $50K is actually a bargain."
The industry norm. Honestly, this is the biggest reason. Consulting has operated this way for decades. Hidden pricing is just what you do. It's expected. Your competitors do it, so you do it.
None of this is particularly sinister. It's just how the industry evolved.
But it doesn't mean it's good for the people trying to buy consulting services.
The Real Problem This Creates for You
Let me flip the perspective.
When you can't find pricing, you can't do basic math. You can't check whether a consultant is even a possibility at your budget. You can't compare across options with any real data. You're starting a conversation with an information disadvantage.
And that disadvantage persists. Once you're on that first call, there's a power dynamic already in place. The consultant knows their pricing. You don't. They're waiting for you to reveal your budget or your pain point, and then they'll calibrate their offer accordingly. The whole exchange is structured to extract maximum value from you, not to find genuine fit.
It wastes time, yours and theirs. How many of those exploratory calls end with "That's actually outside our budget" or "I was hoping it would be $X, not $Y"? Those are conversations that didn't need to happen.
And it breeds a little distrust. If someone won't tell you their price until you're already invested in a conversation, what else aren't they being straight about?
Why I Publish Pricing
At Fresh Coast AI, I work with businesses on AI integration and automation. Engagements typically range from $5,000 to $55,000 depending on company size, scope, duration, and complexity.
I publish these ranges because:
It builds real trust. Transparency isn't a marketing tactic. It's how you'd want to be treated. If you're evaluating firms, you deserve to know if they're even in your ballpark before you schedule a call.
It filters for fit. Not every business should work with me, and not every budget makes sense for this kind of work. By publishing pricing, Fresh Coast AI helps bad-fit opportunities self-select out. That's actually good for everyone. I focus on clients where the work genuinely makes sense for their budget and their needs.
It respects your time. If you're building a budget and the lowest Fresh Coast engagement is $5K but you've allocated $500, you know where you stand. You can move on and find a better fit. Or if you have $80K and need something custom, you know it is worth a conversation because that scale is possible. Either way, you're making decisions with real information.
It sets an honest tone. When I talk with clients, I am not starting from a place of information asymmetry. The conversation can focus on the actual problem and the actual fit, not on negotiation theatrics.
Questions to Ask Any Consultant About Pricing
If you're evaluating consultants (ours or others), here are things worth clarifying:
Is this a fixed price or an estimate? If it's an estimate, what's the confidence level? What would cause the price to change?
What's included in this engagement versus what's extra? Some consultants include implementation, others just do assessment and strategy. Some include ongoing support, others don't. Know what you're buying.
How does scope change affect the price? If you discover something mid-project that wasn't in the original scope, do you renegotiate? Do they eat it? Does it add days to the timeline?
Do they earn commissions or referral fees on tools or vendors they recommend? This isn't automatically disqualifying, but it matters. If they recommend expensive software and earn money when you buy it, that's worth knowing.
What happens if you're unhappy with the work? Is there a revision clause? A guarantee? What recourse do you have?
These aren't gotcha questions. They're just the questions a smart buyer asks before signing an agreement. Any consultant who's comfortable with transparency will answer them directly.
The Philosophy Behind It All
I've been in this business long enough to know that consulting relationships work best when both sides are honest from the start.
Hiding your pricing isn't strategic, it just delays the inevitable moment when both parties need to agree on money. Better to put the information out there, let people self-select, and then have real conversations with people who are actually in a position to work with you.
That's how I operate at Fresh Coast AI.
If you're looking for consulting help, published pricing should be the default. It tells you something important about a firm's confidence in their work and their respect for your time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. The ranges reflect the real cost of good work. That said, sometimes a project naturally sits at the lower end of a range, or a client needs a scaled version of the work. The conversation happens after I understand the scope. I do not start with "what's your budget" and work backward.
That is possible. The $55K is the typical upper range for standard engagements, but if you need a longer or more complex project, I will talk through it with you. These prices are typical ranges based on company size and engagement length, not hard ceilings.
I price based on the scope of work, the timeline, and the complexity, not on company size. A 200-person company doing a straightforward automation project might pay less than a 100-person company doing something more complex.
Because consulting isn't commodity work. A $5K engagement looks completely different from a $55K one. The ranges tell you what's typically possible and help you think about what makes sense for your situation, based on company size and engagement length. You get exact numbers once I understand the actual scope.
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