The rates
On-site work: $150 an hour, plus a $20 trip charge
That is the rate whether it is a server that will not boot, a network that keeps dropping, a point of sale terminal on a Friday afternoon, or a workstation nobody can log into. The trip charge covers getting to you and is charged once per visit, not per hour.
Server support: $150 to $200 a month, per server
Most businesses here have one. This is the maintenance and upkeep that keeps a box from turning into an emergency: patching, health checks, drive monitoring, and yes, physically getting the dust out of it. Network attached storage is covered the same way.
Backup: from $150 a month, per location, plus storage
That is per location, not per computer. The monthly covers running and testing the backup, and storage is billed on top by the gigabyte, so you only pay for what you actually keep. A backup nobody tests is not a backup, so restore testing is part of the price rather than an upsell. Builds are usually a NAS at your place.
Why per location and not per computer
Charging per computer means buying third-party software for every machine you own. Those companies raise the rate once you are locked in, then charge you to move your data, charge you to pull it back out, and charge you every month just to keep holding it. Per location avoids all of that. If you do want it priced per computer, that can be quoted, it is just not how we lead.
Projects are quoted, not clocked
A WiFi install, a network improvement, a server or NAS build, a new office setup: those get a real quote up front so you know the number before anything starts. The hourly rate above is for support work, not for a planned project.
What you actually get
A callback during business hours
Call or leave a callback request Monday through Friday, 10am to 7pm, or Saturday, 1pm to 6pm CT. If we are on a job, leave your contact details and what is happening. We confirm availability and the next step before scheduling work.
Owner-led support
Jay has been doing this in South Texas since 2000. He starts by listening to you describe the problem, then confirms the next step and who will handle the work.
Somebody who remembers your network
There are networks in this area that were put in twenty years ago and are still running. Knowing what is already in your building, and why it was done that way, is most of what makes the next job fast.
Who we work with
Accounting offices, law offices and engineering firms. Convenience stores, drugstores, retail shops and boutiques. RV parks and ranches. Nonprofits. If you are a small business in the Coastal Bend, there is a good chance we have already been inside a business like yours.
The best fit is an operation that wants its technology to just keep working: a server that stays up, backups that run, machines that get maintained on a schedule instead of after they die.
What we do not do here
Personal phones, laptops and tablets. Those go to our scheduled repair shop, NPC Sales, at 1003 E. Main St. in Alice, (361) 494-0059. North Point Computers works on office networks, servers, POS systems and business PCs.
Common questions
Is the trip charge on every visit?
Once per visit, not per hour. If we are already scheduled to be at your place, you are not paying it twice.
Do you require a contract?
Hourly work does not. Managed servers, storage and backup are monthly, and monthly means monthly.
Can you just look at it and tell me what is wrong?
Yes, and that is often the right first step. Call and describe it. If it is something you can fix yourself in five minutes, you will be told that.