Rates & Pricing

À La Carte Services

Here are some common services and the expected cost for these services. These are individual services with the expectation that there would be some travel time involved for these services to be provided within Iowa City or Coralville. If these services are combined in a single trip, the combined cost would be lower.

  • Computer Setup, for new computer following our multi-point setup process, 2 hours, $200
  • Hard Drive Secure Erase, includes erase and verification by attempting to recover data after the secure erase process. For non operating drives, a specialized drill and hardened drill bit are used to pierce the drive making it unusable. $50 for drive already removed from computer. $70 for drive inside of a computer. These prices assume the system or drive is dropped off at our location. This assumes we will dispose of the drive. If you’d like us to dispose of the drive, no follow-up appointment is required after the service is performed, saving us time, saving you $10 off the normal service charges.
  • Printer Setup, 30 – 60 minutes, $80 – $120
  • Router Setup, 30 – 60 minutes, $80 – $120
  • Virus Removal, 30 – 60 minutes for basic removal, $80 – $120

Hourly Rates

Each year we discover increasingly cost effective ways to run our operations. So, we pass the savings on to you and generally charge less today than what we’ve charged in the past. Our current rate structure is as follows:

  • Personal Services: $100 per hour for on-site or phone support. Time billed includes round-trip travel time and 50 cents per mile. This fee may be waived at our discretion.
  • Business Services: $120 per hour for on-site or phone support. Time billed includes round-trip travel time and 50 cents per mile. This fee may be waived at our discretion.
  • Emergency Response: At our discretion, on-site support with a response time within 24 hours may be available. However, the rates are $120 per hour for personal services and $140 per hour for business services. These higher rates are charged to compensate for other appointments being cancelled on short notice. We charge a $150 minimum for emergency on-site response.

Supporting home computer needs is often much simpler and typically requires very little in the way of specialized tools or certifications. For that reason, business support services typically cost us more to deliver. The training, certifications, tools, and ongoing cost for services we use are much higher for delivery of business support such as network integration. Business needs are typically very demanding and time sensitive since downtime is costly. It’s common for other companies to charge much more. We do our best to keep the costs down, and keep our rates low. Yet, we must charge a little more to cover the special needs of business.

Travel Time

We make every effort to minimize travel time and expenses to keep your costs down. Yet, here’s why we charge for round trip travel time and mileage:

  • Much of the support and training we provide is done using remote support software, and through phone or email communications. Travel is an additional expense that needs to be covered.
  • Increasingly we’ve found that many of the on-site support calls we make are for minor repairs that take only a few minutes, yet the cost and time of travel still need to be recuperated.
  • Some service providers charge a minimum fee for trips. Because we have some clients within walking distance (a few minutes), and others a 30 minute drive away, we feel it’s better to charge for round-trip travel time and vehicle mileage (if applicable) instead. This way costs are paid as accrued.

Industry Comparison

About 20 years ago, we were charging $100 per hour. To get an idea of how our rates compare to others in the industry, we monitor the support rates of our competitors. An example would be Cam Commerce with support rates as of August 2012 at $150 per call and then an additional $50 for every 15 minutes. So, the first hour would be $350 and then $200 an hour thereafter. Another local tech provider charges $150 per hour. So, we feel our rates are comparable.