Priced per job, paid once.
No retainer, no subscription, no per-seat fee. You pay to have the thing built, and after that only when you actually want something done. Everything below is a real number, not a "contact us for a quote" and where a job genuinely can't be priced in advance, this says so and explains why.
Baseline setup
Every build starts with this. It's the foundation the rest sits on, and it includes your first service.
Baseline setup
One-off. Where you land in the range depends on the state of the hardware and how much existing data has to be moved in.
- Proxmox VE installed and configured, with storage laid out and snapshots enabled
- An app dashboard as your community's front door
- One basic service of your choice included: photos, media, music, news or files
- Remote access via Tailscale, with no ports opened
- Automated local backups, and a restore tested before handover
- Written documentation and every credential handed to you
- A walkthrough session so you know how to use what you now own
What isn't included
Hardware, a domain name (about $10–15 a year from a registrar of your choice), and any third-party license you decide you want, like Plex Pass or Mixpost Pro.
Already have a server?
Bring-your-own-hardware builds are billed at a flat rate set by the services you want installed. If your machine has an unusual configuration that costs significant extra time (unsupported hardware, a failing disk, an OS that has to be rebuilt) we'll stop, tell you what it will take, and wait for a yes before continuing.
Add services, priced by tier
Each additional service is a flat fee based on how much work it is to install, secure and integrate properly. Every app in the catalogue carries its tier badge, so you can price a build yourself before you ever talk to us.
Self-contained apps: install, configure, connect to your storage, set up users, and show you how it works.
- Photos — Immich, PhotoPrism, Ente
- Movies & TV — Jellyfin, Plex, Emby, Kodi
- Music — Navidrome, Funkwhale, LMS
- VPN — Tailscale, OpenVPN
- News — FreshRSS, Miniflux, Tiny Tiny RSS
- Social — Mastodon, Bluesky PDS, HumHub, Diaspora, Mixpost
- Experimental — Freenet
Services that touch the network edge or hook several other applications together.
- Caddy reverse proxy — clean subdomains, automatic HTTPS, a single open port
- Personal website — static site, custom domain, one-command publishing
- Overseerr / Jellyseerr — media requests for your community
- Gelato — Stremio catalogues inside Jellyfin
- Pi-hole — network-wide ad and tracker blocking
Multi-part systems, or anything where a mistake has real consequences.
- Servarr suite — Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Prowlarr and Bazarr, wired together
- Nextcloud — files, calendar, contacts and documents, with migration
- Internet exposure & firewall management — hardening, segmentation, intrusion detection and a review routine
Keeping it running
Entirely optional, and never a subscription. Some clients call twice a year, some never. Nothing here is required to keep your server working and you can do it all yourself if you want.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Update managementPer service, per update cycle: snapshot, update, verify, and roll back if needed. The rate is fixed per app and depends on how involved its upgrades are. For example, Immich is $20, Jellyfin is $50. You'll be told each app's rate up front before we touch anything on your server. | from $20 per service |
| Helpdesk and remote handsSomething broke, someone can't get in, a drive is complaining. Billed by the hour in 15-minute increments, with no minimum and no retainer. | $40 / hour |
| MigrationsMoving between apps or off a cloud service: Plex to Jellyfin, Google Photos to Immich, one NAS to another. Quoted per job, because the price depends entirely on the apps involved and how much data has to move. Integrity is verified before anything is deleted. | Quoted |
| Offsite backup custodyAn encrypted copy of what matters held on my storage, so a fire or a burglary doesn't take the photos with it. Encrypted with your key before it leaves your building. Quoted by volume and retention: tell us roughly how many gigabytes you want to store and you'll get a monthly figure. | Quoted |
| Worth-a-look reportsA periodic note on new software worth your time, and a warning when something you run stops being maintained. | Free to past clients |
Machines and parts
Hardware is quoted rather than listed, because component prices move weekly and the right machine depends entirely on what you're asking it to do. Every quote itemises the parts and what each one is for, so you can see exactly what you're paying for. You're always free to buy the same list yourself.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| Hardware recommendationA written spec sized to your services, storage, and community, with parts and prices you can buy yourself. | Free with any build |
| Sourcing and custom buildsParts found at the best price we can get, assembled and tested. Quoted per build, itemised. | Quoted |
| Plug-and-play homelabA finished machine with the hypervisor, dashboard, and your chosen services already installed. Plug in power, connect to your network, and open the dashboard. | Quoted hardware + setup |
| Bring your own hardwareFlat rate based on the services installed, with any extra time for unusual or failing hardware agreed with you before it's spent. | Flat rate |
Learning to do it yourself
Any topic from the curriculum, on your own hardware, with written notes afterwards that you keep.
| Format | Price |
|---|---|
| Remote sessionScreen share on your machine, by phone or video call. Recorded on request, with a written summary and the exact commands sent afterwards. | $40 / hour |
| In-person sessionHands on the hardware: building the machine, fitting drives, running cable, seeing a real setup. Available in northern Colorado and the Denver area. | $60 / hour + reasonable travel pricing |
| Documentation and write-upsA written guide for your specific setup, so the next person in your community (or you in two years) can follow it. Quoted by topic and length. | Quoted |
How quoting and payment work
Do I pay before or after?
What if the job turns out to be bigger than quoted?
Why is a price range given for the baseline setup?
Is there a discount for doing several things at once?
What if I want to stop working with you?
Let's find out what you actually need
A free 30-minute call. We talk about what you want off the cloud, what hardware you have, and what it would take. No obligation, and if the honest answer is "you don't need us for this," you'll get that answer.