# Custom AI Development Timeline (2026)

> How long custom AI development takes, week by week. Chatbots 3–6 weeks, automation 6–10, enterprise 12–20. Real ranges from shipped projects.

Canonical: https://www.aimakers.co/custom-ai/timeline/
Last updated: 2026-09-24

## How long does custom AI software development take?

[Custom AI](https://www.aimakers.co/custom-ai/)/Timeline

Most projects ship in 3 to 12 weeks. Here’s the week-by-week breakdown of what I do, what you get at each step, and what speeds it up or slows it down.

[How pricing works →](https://www.aimakers.co/custom-ai/cost/)

AI chatbot or assistant

AI automation / integration

## The four phases

Every custom AI project, from a focused chatbot to an enterprise rollout, runs through these four phases. Only the depth changes.

Week 1–2

### Discovery & scope

We map your workflow, agree the scope and write the technical spec. You sign it off before any code is written.

- Free 30-min call + written scope
- Process diagram of where AI fits
- Fixed-price quote with what's in / out
- Data access checklist

Week 2–8

### Build & integrate

The bulk of the project. We build the AI logic — agents, tools, memory, prompts — and wire it to your systems. You see weekly demos.

- Working prototype by end of week 2
- Live demo every Friday
- Each integration tested in isolation
- Audit log + evaluation harness

Week 1–3

### Test & harden

Edge cases, security review, user acceptance testing. Real users run real tasks against the system before launch.

- Edge-case test plan + run
- Security review (data flow, secrets, PII)
- Admin panel + permissions tested
- User acceptance sign-off

Week 1–2

### Launch & support

Deployment to your server or our managed cloud. 30 days of post-launch support included — bug fixes, tweaks, training.

- Production deployment
- Team training session (recorded)
- 30 days included support
- Ongoing managed plan available

## What makes projects faster or slower

Same project, different conditions, very different timelines. The speed factors below explain most of the variance.

- Clean, well-documented APIs on every system
- Single decision-maker on your side
- Existing AI patterns we've shipped before
- Data already exists in a queryable form
- Managed cloud deployment

- Legacy systems with no API or undocumented data formats
- Multiple stakeholders + committee approval at every step
- Novel use case that needs research and prototyping
- Data trapped in PDFs, scanned docs or spreadsheets
- On-premise + custom security review process

## Real project timelines

Anonymised examples from past work. Use them as a gut check against your own scope.

| Project | Integrations | Timeline |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WhatsApp customer support bot | 2 systems | 4 weeks |
| Bank reconciliation + invoice AI | 4 systems | 8 weeks |
| Internal AI assistant for legal team | 3 systems (DMS heavy) | 10 weeks |
| Multi-department AI ops platform | 12+ systems | 16 weeks |

## Timeline FAQ

### How long does it take to build a custom AI?

A focused project — chatbot, single automation — ships in 3–6 weeks. A typical multi-integration build runs 6–10 weeks. Enterprise rollouts with on-premise hosting and compliance review take 12–20 weeks. The pricing page narrows the timeline down by project type.

### Can you do it faster?

Sometimes. If your need fits an existing ClawdBot template, you can be live in days on a managed plan. The 3+ week minimum applies to genuinely custom builds where we're writing new logic, integrations and agents.

### What slows projects down most?

Data access and decision-making. We've had projects sit idle for 3 weeks waiting for SSO credentials or a CSV export. We flag access dependencies in the scope doc on day one to minimise surprises.

### When can we start?

I personally take on 2–3 projects at a time. Current lead time from sign-off to kick-off is usually 1–2 weeks. Drop me a message and I'll tell you the actual next available slot.

### Do you offer phased rollouts?

Yes — and for larger multi-system projects I usually recommend it. Phase 1 ships a working slice in 4–6 weeks so you start getting value, then we layer in the rest over the following months. Better than a 6-month silent build.

## Related

- [Custom AI development](https://www.aimakers.co/custom-ai/)