How we work with you: on-demand hours, prepaid banks, monthly retainers, and the written SLA that goes with committed coverage.
List rate $195 / hour · September 2026
Open a section below to see how that rate is used — on-demand, as a prepaid bank, or inside a monthly retainer with a written SLA.
If you only need us when something breaks, pay the list rate. If you want a predictable budget and a written response window, use a bank or a retainer. Most operators mix the two: a monthly baseline, then hourly for overflow and projects.
Pay only when work is needed. Best for low or unpredictable volume. List rate; after-hours labor often 1.5×. For committed after-hours coverage, contact us to start a retainer.
Buy a block of hours and draw down. Moderate, lumpy demand. 5–15% off list; unused hours expire or roll 30–90 days.
Fixed fee for defined hours plus priority access. Hours × list rate × ~0.85–0.90.
Flat monthly fee for a defined catalog, with SLAs. Per user, per device, or a packaged fee.
$195 is in the upper-mid band for U.S. specialist network work. You are paying for senior engineering, not a helpdesk seat. A written SLA and a monthly plan are how you buy a committed response window — not a cheaper hourly rate.
Senior, specialized work — not a commodity helpdesk seat.
Those remain time-and-materials or a separate statement of work.
An SLA is not “we will get to it.” It names priorities, first-response times, resolution targets, hours of coverage, how we escalate, what happens if a target is missed, and what is excluded.
Assigned by business impact, not by who submitted the ticket.
Security incident, data loss, all users blocked, no workaround. Full system outage, ransomware, network-wide failure.
A group of users blocked; a workaround may exist. Key application degraded, VPN down for remote staff.
Single user; workaround exists. One user cannot print, email sync on one device, non-blocking software fault.
No production impact. Password reset, new user setup, how-to questions, scheduled configuration changes.
Response is first meaningful human contact. An auto-reply does not count.
Resolution is the issue fixed, or a documented workaround. Targets, not hard guarantees.
The clock pauses when we are waiting on you, a third-party vendor, or an approved change window.
These are the ranges most support organizations publish. Tighter windows cost more because someone has to be on the clock. A business-hours plan does not include 15-minute P1 response — that requires funded after-hours coverage.
| Priority | First response | Resolution target | Typical coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 15–30 minutes | 1–4 hours | 24×7 |
| P2 | 30–60 minutes | 4–8 hours | 24×7 or extended hours |
| P3 | 2–4 business hours | Next business day | Business hours |
| P4 | 4–8 business hours | 2–3 business days | Business hours |
Discounts apply only when hours or coverage are committed.
Best for infrequent, project, or overflow work. Start an intake to request on-demand hours.
| Item | Term |
|---|---|
| Rate | $195 / hour |
| Minimum | 1 hour |
| Billing increment | 15 minutes after the first hour |
| After-hours / weekend / holiday labor | $293 / hour (1.5×) |
| After-hours availability | Contact us to start a retainer |
| Response | Best effort during business hours (10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST); next available engineer |
| SLA | None |
Hours are prepaid each quarter at a discount to list. Unused hours roll one quarter, then expire. Overage is billed at $195 / hour. After-hours labor draws the bank at 1.5× hours. For committed after-hours coverage, contact us to start a retainer.
20 hours / month prepaid each quarter (60 hours) at $175.50 / hour (10% off list).
Start intake40 hours / month prepaid each quarter (120 hours) at $165.75 / hour (15% off list).
Start intakeIncluded coverage on every retainer is 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST, Monday–Friday. If you need a written SLA, Priority is the usual fit. For after-hours coverage, contact us to start a retainer.
12 hours · $195 / hour · 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST
20 hours · $186 / hour · 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST
40 hours · $166 / hour · 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. CST
Overage $195/hour (or $175 if agreed). Unused hours expire at month-end, or roll up to 25%. After-hours P3/P4 and projects are out of scope unless quoted. After-hours coverage is not included in the base retainer — contact us to start a retainer if you need it.
| Add-on | Typical fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| After-hours availability | Contact us | Start a retainer if you need after-hours coverage. P1 path only. |
| 24×7 / third shift | +$2,500–$3,000 / month | Not a standard offering. Only if hiring a third-shift engineer makes sense — requires a 2–3 year contract at an agreed amount. |
| Named engineer / TAM | Contact us | Reserved capacity and a known point of contact |
| Quarterly environment review | Included on Premium | Written findings and recommended actions |
| On-site support | Not available yet | Remote support only for now |
| Project work | Separate SOW | $195 / hour or fixed fee |
These are the targets that apply to the Priority retainer. Standard and Premium use the windows listed on those cards.
P1: 30 minutes to senior / named, 1 hour to engagement lead.
| Priority | First response | Resolution target | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 30 minutes | 4 hours | Business hours; after-hours with add-on |
| P2 | 2 hours | 8 hours | Business hours |
| P3 | 4 business hours | Next business day | Business hours |
| P4 | 1 business day | 3 business days | Business hours |
Pauses if we are waiting on you, a vendor, an agreed window, or the issue is out of scope.
Monthly tickets, hours, SLA attainment, aging. Quarterly on Priority and Premium.
Not on Standard or T&M. Premium missed P1: 10% of that month, cap 25%, within 15 days.
Your supported systems and environments are listed in the agreement before work starts.
| Term | What applies |
|---|---|
| Initial term | 90 days, then month-to-month |
| After-hours availability | Contact us to start a retainer; 12-month term recommended for regular coverage |
| 24×7 / third shift | Not currently offered as a standard plan. If it makes sense to hire a third-shift engineer: 2–3 year contract at an agreed amount, plus $2,500–$3,000 / month |
| Invoice | Monthly in advance for retainers; monthly in arrears for T&M and overage |
| Payment | Net 15 |
| Rate review | Annually, or on material scope change |
| Cancellation | 30 days written notice after the initial term |
| Offboarding | Unused prepaid hours are forfeited; knowledge-transfer billed at list rate |
Before we start, we will lock these down with you:
This page explains the options. The signed agreement is the MSA plus the SLA exhibit.
Tell us what you are running and whether you need after-hours coverage. Contact us to start a retainer.
