Most IT companies in the Inland Northwest will not tell you a price until after a sales meeting. We think a firm owner should be able to estimate the cost before giving anyone an hour, so here are real numbers.
The market range
National surveys of managed service providers put fully managed IT for small businesses at roughly $100 to $250 per user per month, with most plans in the middle of that range. Firms with compliance needs, like tax and accounting practices, sit toward the upper half because the security tools and documentation cost more.
Pricing in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene tracks the national range. What changes from one provider to the next is what the monthly fee actually includes.
Our pricing
| Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| IT assessment | $995 one time | On-site review and a written, prioritized list. Credited toward onboarding. |
| Hourly support | $150/hr remote, $175/hr on-site | For solo and very small practices |
| Managed IT Essentials | $150 per user per month | Remote help desk, monitoring and patching, core security (EDR with 24/7 SOC, email security, MFA, backup, training), Microsoft 365 administration |
| Managed IT Complete | $210 per user per month | Everything in Essentials, plus SIEM monitoring, managed firewall, server backup with restore tests, on-site visits, vendor management, seasonal staff and quarterly planning |
Managed plans have a $750 monthly minimum, and agreements are month to month.
What it costs for firms like yours
| Firm size | Essentials | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| 5 people | $750 per month | $1,050 per month |
| 10 people | $1,500 per month | $2,100 per month |
| 20 people | $3,000 per month | $4,200 per month |
Onboarding is one month of the plan fee, less the $995 assessment credit. Hardware, software licenses and larger projects such as a server replacement are quoted separately and in writing.
What to check in any quote
When you compare providers, the monthly number is the easy part. Ask:
- Is security included, or sold as an add-on per device? EDR, email security and backup are not optional for a tax practice.
- Are on-site visits included, or billed by the hour?
- What is the after-hours rate? Ours is 1.5 times the hourly rate.
- How long is the contract, and what does it cost to leave?
- Do they plan around tax season, or will they schedule a migration in March?
Is it worth it?
Compare the monthly fee to the cost of a bad week in April: three preparers idle for a day while the tax software server is rebuilt, or a client’s refund diverted after a spoofed email. For most firms of five or more, managed IT costs less than one such incident per year.
If you want a number for your firm specifically, our pricing page has the details, or you can schedule a call and we will send an estimate within one business day.