# AI Agent Cost Estimation Worksheet

Use this worksheet to separate implementation scope from recurring operating cost. Do not choose a package or supplier until the workflow, integrations, controls, acceptance tests, and operating assumptions are written down.

Pricing guide and field explanations: https://ctbagents.com/resources/ai-agent-development-cost/

## 1. Workflow boundary

- **Workflow name:**
- **Business owner:**
- **Trigger:**
- **Required output or state change:**
- **Average weekly volume:**
- **Current manual time per item:**
- **Normal path:**
- **Common exceptions:**
- **Explicitly excluded from the first release:**

## 2. Integration and data work

| System or data source | Read or write | Authentication method | Objects or fields | API documented? | Access ready? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

- **Browser-only or legacy systems:**
- **Data cleanup or migration required:**
- **Sensitive-data constraints:**
- **Rate limits or provider constraints:**

## 3. Agent behavior and controls

- **Deterministic rules:**
- **Where model reasoning is required:**
- **Allowed actions:**
- **Prohibited actions:**
- **Human approval points:**
- **User roles and permission levels:**
- **Required audit events:**
- **Timeout, retry, duplicate, and partial-failure behavior:**
- **Shutdown, rollback, or compensating action:**

## 4. Interfaces and reporting

- **Dashboard, form, or review queue:**
- **Authentication or SSO:**
- **Notifications:**
- **Admin controls:**
- **Reports and required metrics:**
- **Documentation and training:**

## 5. Acceptance and deployment

- **Representative normal cases available:** Yes / No
- **Representative edge cases available:** Yes / No
- **Representative failure cases available:** Yes / No
- **Objective pass criteria:**
- **Production environment:**
- **Monitoring and alert owner:**
- **Post-launch support owner:**

## 6. One-time implementation estimate

| Workstream | Estimated amount | Assumptions or exclusions |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| Discovery and specification |  |  |
| Integrations and data |  |  |
| Agent behavior and orchestration |  |  |
| Safety and reliability |  |  |
| User experience |  |  |
| Deployment and handoff |  |  |
| **One-time build total** |  |  |

## 7. Monthly operating estimate

| Cost | Monthly estimate | Volume assumption |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| Model or API usage |  |  |
| Voice, enrichment, or third-party services |  |  |
| Hosting and database |  |  |
| Logs, monitoring, and alerts |  |  |
| Maintenance |  |  |
| Human review and exception handling |  |  |
| **Monthly operating total** |  |  |

## 8. First-year total cost

- **One-time build total:**
- **Monthly operating total × 12:**
- **Contingency for known uncertainty:**
- **First-year total cost:**
- **Expected first-year workflow value:**
- **Expected payback period:**

Prepared from the AI Agent Development Cost guide published by Coding The Brains: https://ctbagents.com/resources/ai-agent-development-cost/