How Much Does IT Support Cost for Small Businesses in Perth?

If you have ever asked a Perth IT company what their support costs and walked away with a vague answer, you are not alone. Pricing in this industry is patchy, inconsistent and often deliberately unclear. The reality is simpler than most providers make it sound — and worth understanding before you sign anything.

The three pricing models you will actually be quoted

Almost every IT support arrangement in Perth falls into one of three buckets: ad-hoc hourly, monthly retainer, or fully managed (per user or per device). Each suits a different stage of business and risk appetite.

1. Ad-hoc hourly support

You pay only when you need help. Typical Perth rates in 2026 sit between $120 and $180 per hour for remote, with on-site work usually quoted at the higher end and in 30-minute increments. There are usually call-out fees of $90–$150 on top for site visits inside the metro area.

This model works for very small teams (1–5 people) with a stable, simple setup and no compliance pressure. It stops working the moment you have more than a few staff or you start needing security, backups and consistent uptime — those things cannot be done well in occasional 30-minute bursts.

2. Monthly retainer

A halfway house. You pay a fixed monthly fee — typically $300 to $700 — that includes a block of hours and priority response. Hours that go over are billed at a discounted hourly rate.

Retainers suit Perth businesses with 5–15 staff who want predictable IT spend and faster response than ad-hoc, but who do not yet need a full managed agreement. They also build a real relationship with your provider, which means they actually know your environment when something breaks.

3. Fully managed IT (per user)

The most common arrangement for Perth businesses with 15+ staff. You pay a flat monthly fee per user (typically $80–$130) and the provider becomes your IT department — unlimited helpdesk, 24/7 monitoring, patching, antivirus, backups, vendor management and quarterly strategy reviews.

Managed pricing is per user, per month. A 25-person business is looking at $2,000–$3,250 per month all-in. It feels like a lot until you compare it with the cost of a single in-house IT hire ($85k+ per year fully loaded) or the cost of one serious unplanned outage.

Where the hidden costs hide

Headline rates rarely tell the full story. Watch for the following:

• Onboarding fees — most managed providers charge a one-off setup fee. Reasonable; just make sure it is quoted.
• Microsoft and security licensing — sometimes bundled, sometimes billed separately. Always ask which.
• Project work — major migrations or rollouts are typically excluded from managed and quoted as projects.
• After-hours rates — some providers charge 1.5x or 2x outside business hours. Confirm what counts as after-hours.
• Lock-in contracts — some providers tie you in for 24 or 36 months. We do not, and you should not need to.

A simple way to choose

Add up your number of staff and ask yourself: how much downtime can you actually afford? Up to about five staff with very low risk, ad-hoc is fine. Five to fifteen, get on a retainer. Fifteen plus, or anyone in regulated industries (health, finance, legal, government supply chains), go managed. The maths almost always works.

What we charge at Unibyte

For full transparency: $130/hr for ad-hoc, $350/month for our small business retainer (3 hours included), and from $80/user/month for fully managed IT. No setup fees on retainer, no lock-in contracts, no after-hours surcharges for managed clients. If a Perth IT provider will not give you numbers as plainly as that, ask why.