Alithos Advisory offers three flat-fee services: the Feasibility Check ($2,500, credits toward the Budget Plan), the Budget Plan ($7,500 to $10,000, scope in writing) and Project Navigator (from $20,000, quoted per project; availability depends on your project's state). Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute Project Fit Call. No commissions from anyone.
What are the three Alithos services?
Each one is a step deeper into the same question: what will this project really cost, and can your practice carry it? You can stop after any step.
Feasibility Check
A go / no-go financial screen: space and site fit, a high-level equipment budget range and a debt-service coverage pre-check against the 1.25× standard. The fee credits toward the Budget Plan if you go on.
The Budget Plan
The full number before you sign: space requirements, a line-item equipment and imaging budget, build vs. lease vs. condo projections, tax modeling and cash flow. It ends in the lender-ready package your bank underwrites from.
Project Navigator
Everything in the Budget Plan, plus owner-side advisory through opening: independent quote review, floor plan budget review, budget tracking and change-order review. Quoted per project; availability depends on your project's state, confirmed before engagement.
Which service fits your project?
Start with where you are, not with the biggest package. Most dentists I talk to need the Budget Plan. Some need less. A few want help all the way to opening day.
| Your situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| You want a rough number tonight, on your own | The free cost estimator |
| You're exploring a startup or relocation and aren't sure the numbers work | Feasibility Check ($2,500) |
| You have a site, a lease or a lender in view and need a budget your bank can underwrite | The Budget Plan ($7,500–$10,000) |
| You're deciding between building, leasing or buying a condo suite | The Budget Plan (three-path model) |
| You want an independent second set of eyes on quotes, design and change orders until opening | Project Navigator (from $20,000; availability depends on your project's state) |
| You're not sure | A free Project Fit Call |
If you're weighing an independent planner against a dealer's free design, a full-service startup program or doing it yourself, the planning options comparison lays out who pays whom in each model.
How are Alithos fees set?
Every fee is flat, and the prices are published here, before you ever talk to me. I'd rather you know what I charge first.
- Flat, not a percentage. My fee doesn't grow when your project grows. Nobody on my side of the table earns more if you add an operatory or upgrade the finish.
- Scope in writing. The exact Budget Plan fee and scope are set in writing before work starts. Project Navigator is quoted per project, also in writing.
- The Feasibility Check credits forward. If the screen says go and you continue to the Budget Plan, the $2,500 credits toward it.
- No referral fees in either direction. I take no commissions, referral fees or kickbacks from lenders, dealers, brokers or contractors, and I don't pay anyone to send me clients. You are the only one paying me.
For scale: the Alithos estimator puts a 4-operatory startup in leased space at standard finish at about $746,000 to $824,000 all-in, including working capital. That's planning math, not a quote. A $7,500 to $10,000 Budget Plan is roughly 0.9% to 1.3% of that range. For a floor, an ADA News expert column notes that opening a dental practice often takes $500,000 at minimum.1
How does an engagement work?
- Project Fit Call. Free, 30 minutes, by video. Bring your timeline and your questions. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so.
- Scope and fee in writing. You see exactly what's included and what it costs before anything starts.
- The work. I work virtually, by video and shared documents, with dentists in all 50 states from my base in California. Most Budget Plans are completed in 3 to 5 weeks from kickoff, depending on how quickly we gather your production and financial data.
- Your number. You get a budget built on your production, tested against the debt-service coverage that many lenders look for, often around 1.25×.2 The lender-ready package is what your bank underwrites from, whether the loan is conventional or SBA 7(a).3
What does Alithos not do?
Alithos is advisory only. I'm not a contractor, architect, engineer, real estate broker, lender, law firm, CPA or investment adviser. I don't sell equipment, design buildings, place loans or sign anything on your behalf.
That's the point. Those professionals are all part of a good project, and you'll still hire the ones you need. My job is to give you an independent number to hold them to. Your attorney reviews leases and contracts before you sign. Your CPA confirms any tax treatment; the tax modeling in a Budget Plan is planning, not tax advice. The lender makes the credit decision.
The reason I publish prices is the same reason I take no commissions. You should be able to judge my advice knowing exactly how I'm paid. More about me and why I work this way.
Services FAQ
How much does the Feasibility Check cost?
The Feasibility Check is a flat $2,500. If the screen says go and you continue to the Budget Plan, the $2,500 credits toward it.
How much does the Budget Plan cost?
The Budget Plan is a flat fee of $7,500 to $10,000. The exact fee and scope are set in writing before work starts.
How much does Project Navigator cost?
Project Navigator starts at $20,000 and is quoted per project. Availability depends on your project's state and is confirmed before engagement.
How long does a Budget Plan take?
Most Budget Plans are completed in 3 to 5 weeks from kickoff, depending on how quickly we gather your production and financial data.
Does Alithos take commissions or referral fees?
No. Alithos takes no commissions, referral fees or kickbacks from lenders, dealers, brokers or contractors, in either direction. You are the only one paying.
What should you do next?
Questions on scope, timing or payment are answered on the FAQ. For the cost side of the decision, start with the dental practice startup costs guide or how to open a dental practice. When you're ready, book a free Project Fit Call.
Prices on this page are the current published fees. How we research and update this page.
Sources
- ADA News, M. Jerkins, "Ask the Expert: How to be financially prepared for practice ownership" (2025). adanews.ada.org
- ADA News, M. Jerkins, "Ask the Expert: How much debt is too much when buying a dental practice?" (2026). adanews.ada.org
- U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loans (accessed 2026). sba.gov
- Alithos Advisory cost estimator and benchmark table (planning model, not survey data). alithos.co