Pricing, without the scoping-call dance

What a Dynamics 365 consultant actually costs

Most firms make you book a call to hear a number. Here are the real market ranges, what moves them, and how to avoid paying enterprise overhead for owner-led-business work.

The ranges nobody publishes

Typical US pricing for Dynamics 365 CE work. Your quote should land inside these — if it doesn't, ask why.

Hourly

Independent senior consultant

Typically $150–$250/hour. You work directly with the person doing the work. Watch for: availability, and whether they've done your scenario before.

Hourly

Partner firm

Typically $200–$350/hour blended. The person who sold it is rarely the person who builds it. Watch for: junior hours billed at senior framing.

Project

Fixed-scope diagnostic

A focused health check or assessment typically runs low four figures and should end in a written findings-and-sequence document you can execute with anyone.

Ongoing

Monthly retainer

For continuous improvement work, expect $2,000–$10,000/month depending on cadence and seniority. The number matters less than what is defined per cycle.

Five things that actually drive cost

1. Who does the work

The single biggest variable. A senior person costs more per hour and dramatically less per outcome — they've seen your problem before.

2. Discovery that never ends

Open-ended discovery phases are where budgets die. If scope isn't fixed before work starts, the price on the proposal is a floor, not a number.

3. The state of your data

Dirty data turns configuration projects into archaeology. An honest consultant prices a data assessment first rather than discovering it on your invoice.

4. Integration surface

Every system D365 must talk to — ERP, phones, marketing, billing — adds real scope. Count your integrations before comparing quotes.

5. Licensing you already pay for

Plenty of "custom build" quotes duplicate features already in your license. Power Automate, AI Builder and Copilot cover more than most proposals admit.

Frequently asked

Why won't most consultancies publish prices?

Because their model depends on scoping calls that end in a proposal sized to your budget. Ranges are knowable — the market isn't that mysterious — and you deserve them before you get on anyone's calendar.

What does GCP charge?

Scope is confirmed before any engagement begins, so you know the number before work starts — no burn-rate discovery phases. Diagnostics are fixed-price; retainers are a set monthly amount with defined scope each cycle.

Is a big partner firm safer for a small business?

Larger firms are built for larger programs. For an owner-led business, the practical risk is paying partner-firm overhead for work a senior independent does directly — and being handed to juniors after the sale.

How do I keep a D365 project from blowing its budget?

Fix scope before work begins, insist the person who scoped it does the work, and sequence into small shipped increments instead of one long build. Most blowouts are discovery phases that never end.

Want the number for your situation?

Describe your environment in a sentence — team size, what's broken. You'll get a straight answer about what fixing it should cost, whether or not it's us.

Reply within one business day. No sequence, no pitch.