The Hidden Costs of AI-built Software

AI tools can now turn a plain-language description into a working app in a few minutes, and this has changed how contractors think about the software they pay for every month. If a scheduling page can appear from a prompt, a subscription can start to look like an expense that isn't necessary anymore.

This white paper looks at what happens after that first working version exists. Writing code has gotten faster and cheaper with AI, but the code was never the most expensive part of running software. Most of the cost and the risk shows up later, in the maintenance, the time it takes to keep running, and the security work that a working app doesn't automatically include. In this white paper you’ll find:

• The typical price range for a mid-complexity custom application, and where ServiceTitan's own build cost lands for the contractors who use it.

• Who ends up responsible for a do-it-yourself platform once it's live, including deciding what to build next, testing changes, and fixing problems as they come up.

• Why maintenance commonly costs two to four times the original build, and what keeps driving that cost over time.

• Data on how often AI-generated code ships with a known security vulnerability, and what that risk means for a business holding customer payment information and employee records.

• Four questions worth answering honestly before committing to building and running a platform instead of paying for one.

This report is for any contractor who has used an AI tool to build something and started wondering whether they still need a business platform at all. It doesn't argue that AI can't build working software. Instead, it walks through what building software with AI leaves out, and what it takes to keep that software running safely for years.

Download the white paper to see the full breakdown, including what the operators who are pulling ahead chose to do instead.