Per-model pricing, prompt caching, batch, and seven production tactics to cut Claude API spend.
Pricing - Every AI build starts with a A$1,999 roadmap
No guesswork and no open-ended hourly bills. For A$1,999 we map your AI agent or product end to end — architecture, Claude tooling, and a fixed-price quote for the build — and credit that A$1,999 in full against the build when you go ahead. All prices in AUD, ex-GST.
- Average MVP delivery
- 2-6 wk
- Fintech products in production
- 5+
- Active users on CalcWidgets
- 10K+
- Senior partner per project
- 1
Start here
Discovery & Roadmap
A$1,999
~1 week · credited to your build
Validate your idea and walk away with a buildable plan and a fixed-price quote — credited in full when you proceed.
- Technical feasibility for your specific idea
- AI agent & system architecture design
- User flows & wireframes for the build
- Claude, MCP & automation tooling plan
- Fixed-price quote for the full build
- Buildable spec you own — even if you walk away
- A$1,999 credited to your build (within 30 days)
MVP / Agent Build
Starting at
A$5K
Fixed price · 2-6 weeks
Go from roadmap to a production AI agent or product — fixed price, no surprises.
- Everything mapped in your roadmap
- Full-stack build (Next.js, TypeScript, Postgres)
- Claude-powered AI agents & automations
- Auth, billing & dashboards
- Deployment & CI/CD setup
- Post-launch bug fixes (30 days)
- You own all code & infrastructure
Fixed price · A$1,999 credited to your build · You own all the code · No lock-in
Not ready to commit? Get a free written auditWorking with Sandlabs has been an outstanding experience. They brought exceptional technical expertise and a genuine solution-focused mindset to our fintech product.
David McCleery, Co-Founder, HumbleTech
Done-for-you, fixed price - Just want Claude set up for your business?
Not every business needs a custom build. If you simply want Claude working for your day-to-day — set up properly, with your tools connected — this is a one-time, done-for-you setup in a single session.
Claude Done-For-You Setup
A$1,499 + GST · one-time
We install Claude Cowork, switch on the free Claude for Small Business package, connect your tools (Xero/MYOB, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, email, HubSpot and more), turn on the right skills, set everything to approve-before-it-acts, and walk you through it. No technical skills needed on your end. One-time setup only — ongoing retainers are optional and scoped separately.
Australian market context - What a roadmap costs everywhere else
Real AUD benchmarks for what Australian businesses pay just to scope an AI project in 2026 — sourced from published salary guides and the engagements we win and lose. Our roadmap is A$1,999, credited to your build.
Big-4 / tier-1 AI scoping engagement
A$120K – A$400K
A typical 3–6 month AI strategy engagement — before a line of code is written. Our equivalent roadmap is A$1,999, credited to your build.
Senior dev day rate (Sydney/Melbourne)
A$1,400 – A$2,200
A single senior developer costs more per day than our entire roadmap. Source: 2026 Hays + Robert Half AU technology salary guides.
Sandlabs Discovery → Build path
A$1,999 → fixed quote
Roadmap in ~1 week, then a production build at a fixed price set up-front. Founder-led, no account managers, no juniors.
Claude API monthly run-cost
A$60 – A$1,500/mo
Most production agents land between A$200–A$600 per month after caching and Haiku routing — see our Claude API pricing guide.
Day rates are 2026 averages from Hays and Robert Half AU technology salary guides. Sandlabs prices are ex-GST; Australian clients with an ABN are invoiced with 10% GST on top.
FAQ - AUD pricing, GST, and scoping questions
Everything Australian buyers ask before signing — currency, GST treatment, ongoing run cost, and how we compare to local senior developers and Big-4 consultancies.
- How is the A$1,999 discovery different from your free AI audit?. The free AI audit answers "should we use AI, and where?" — you send us your workflows and we send back a written opportunity map with ballpark numbers, at no cost. The A$1,999 Discovery & Roadmap answers "exactly what are we building, how, and what does it cost?" — deeper technical feasibility, AI agent and system architecture, wireframes, a Claude and tooling plan, and a fixed-price quote you can sign. Start with the free audit if you are still exploring; book the paid roadmap when you are ready to build. If you would rather talk it through first, the A$99 Automation Triage is thirty minutes live, credited to the roadmap.
- Is the A$1,999 really credited back?. Yes. If you proceed to a build within 30 days of receiving your roadmap, the full A$1,999 is credited against your first invoice — so for clients who go ahead, the discovery is effectively free. If you do not proceed, you still keep the complete roadmap, architecture, and fixed-price quote, and you are free to take them to any developer. No lock-in.
- Are your prices in AUD?. Yes. All prices on this page are in Australian dollars (AUD) and exclusive of GST. We are an Australian-registered business and our invoices include 10% GST for AU clients with an ABN. International clients are billed in AUD without GST. Engagements typically settle 50% on kick-off and 50% on delivery via bank transfer.
- Do your fixed-price quotes include GST?. Quotes are stated ex-GST so you can compare cleanly against other vendors. The signed Statement of Work adds 10% GST on top for Australian clients with an ABN, in line with ATO requirements. International clients are GST-exempt. We send a tax invoice for every milestone payment.
- How does Sandlabs pricing compare to a senior Australian dev or a Big-4 consultancy?. A senior full-stack developer in Sydney or Melbourne bills A$1,400–A$2,200 per day according to the 2026 Hays and Robert Half AU salary guides — that is more per day than our entire A$1,999 roadmap. Big-4 and tier-1 consultancies typically quote A$120K–A$400K just to scope a 3–6 month AI engagement before any code is written. With Sandlabs you start with a A$1,999 roadmap (credited to your build) and a fixed-price quote, with the senior partner on every line of code.
- Why fixed price instead of hourly billing?. Hourly billing rewards slow work and punishes the client. Every Sandlabs project is fixed price after a Discovery Sprint, so you know your total cost up-front and we are incentivised to ship fast. Change requests within the original scope are included; significantly new scope gets quoted as a change order before any work is done.
- What is included in the MVP / Agent Build?. Full-stack development (Next.js, TypeScript, Postgres are our default), authentication, billing integration, admin dashboards, Claude-powered AI agents and automation, production deployment, CI/CD, basic analytics, and 30 days of post-launch bug fixes. You own all source code, the production infrastructure, and the deployed product on day one — no lock-in, ever.
- How long does an AI consulting engagement take?. Discovery & Roadmap runs about a week. MVP / Agent Build runs 2–6 weeks depending on scope. We are explicitly built for speed — engagements that drag past 8 weeks usually mean the scope was wrong, not that the work was complex. Expect weekly demos against the fixed scope from week one.
- What ongoing costs should we budget for after launch?. For a typical Claude-powered agent or workflow: A$200–A$600 per month in Claude API token spend (after caching and intelligent model routing), A$50–A$300 per month in hosting (Vercel, AWS, Supabase), and a 15–20 percent annual maintenance allocation against the build cost for ongoing support. Total run cost for most production AI agents lands around A$3K–A$8K per year.
- Do you work with Australian businesses outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane?. Yes. We are remote-first across Australia and work in AEST/AEDT business hours. We have shipped for clients in regional QLD, NSW, and VIC, and routinely run on-site discovery workshops in any capital city when an engagement benefits from it. Same-timezone communication is the baseline — the rest is logistics.
Pricing deep-dives - Cost guides for the work we ship most often
Detailed AUD breakdowns for Claude API spend, Claude AI subscriptions, and custom AI builds.
Every Claude plan compared — Free, Pro, Team, Enterprise — with hidden costs and the right plan for your team size.
When off-the-shelf AI stops working and custom development starts to pay for itself.
Let's build something great together.
Melbourne, Australia — serving founders worldwide. [email protected]