How it works

One engineer, start to finish.

Rouge Tech is small on purpose. Every call, quote, install, and follow-up goes through the same person — me, Russell Pier. This page explains how an engagement actually runs: from the first phone call to the handoff, with honest numbers attached.

01 · Two ways in

Pick the door that fits the problem.

Most engagements start one of two ways. If you're planning a project — new WiFi, cameras, a smart-home upgrade, a small-office cloud migration — call or text for a free scoping conversation. If something is broken right now, start with a Remote Rescue.

Project inquiry · Free to talk

You have a project in mind.

WiFi rebuilds, camera installs, smart-home work, home theater, or a small-office migration. The first conversation is free and candid. If it's not a fit, I'll tell you so.

Good door for: new installs, rebuilds, migrations, small-office setup, anything that needs a site visit or a scoped proposal.
  • Call or text for a five-minute phone scope — same-day reply during business hours.
  • In-home walkthrough for bigger projects: $75, credited back if you hire me.
  • Written proposal with fixed fees where possible, time-and-materials where fixed doesn't fit honestly.
  • No surprise invoices. If scope shifts, we agree in writing before anything is added.
Start a project inquiry →
Remote Rescue · $40 to start

Something is broken right now.

Twenty minutes of real diagnostic engineering on a video call. Most things get fixed on the call. If they don't, we already know what comes next.

Good door for: WiFi dropouts, password lockouts, app that won't connect, printer weirdness, "my smart home stopped being smart."
  • Book a slot and join a video call — no app install, just a link.
  • Screenshare so I can see your router, your device, your app — real diagnosis, not a script.
  • If it's a five-minute fix, done on the call. You hang up and it works.
  • If it needs a visit, the $40 is credited toward the on-site labor. No drive-out fee.
Book a Remote Rescue →
02 · How I charge

Four rates. No hidden numbers.

Everything Rouge Tech does falls into one of four pricing buckets. Whichever you're in, the rate is written down before work starts — and the final invoice matches it. Hardware is quoted at cost plus a disclosed markup, never padded.

A · On the clock

Remote Rescue

$40 / 20 min
Video call, first fix

Instant engineering on a video call. Most things get fixed in the twenty minutes. Credited toward larger work if it's bigger.

  • WiFi dropouts, app lockouts
  • Printer & smart-home weirdness
  • "I just need someone to look at it"
B · Hourly

Engineering time

$150 / hour
Billed in 15-min increments

For audits, second opinions, consulting, and in-home visits that don't fit a fixed scope. Transparent timesheet, billed after.

  • Network or security audits
  • Second opinions on quotes
  • On-site work under 4 hours
C · Fixed-fee

Scoped project

From $800
Typical range $800 – $15k

A quote in writing for a defined piece of work — an estimate for an install, an SOW for a migration. Fixed number; scope changes agreed in writing before billing.

  • Whole-house WiFi rebuilds
  • Camera & security systems
  • HR & CRM platform migrations
D · Light retainer

Monthly availability

From $300 / mo
Typical range $300 – $1,200

Predictable monthly availability for small offices or households with an ongoing stack. Included hours roll forward one month.

  • Priority response during hours
  • Quarterly health check built in
  • Discounted rate for overage hours
03 · What I promise

Six rules in writing.

These are the commitments behind every engagement. They're written here so you can hold me to them. If I break one on your project, the invoice is adjusted accordingly — no negotiation.

01

The person on the call is the person on the job.

No handoffs to technicians I've never met. The engineer who scoped it, installs it. If that ever stops being true, Rouge Tech will tell you before you sign.

02

Written scope, written numbers.

Every engagement over the Remote Rescue threshold gets a signed SOW. Nothing is added to the final invoice that wasn't agreed in writing first. Change orders are free to request.

03

Hardware priced at cost, plus a stated markup.

You see the line-item cost and the markup on the proposal. I'd rather make less on hardware and be invited back for the next project than hide a margin in a router.

04

Workmanship guaranteed ninety days.

If anything I installed stops working because of how I installed it, I come back and fix it — no charge, no drive-out fee. Hardware warranties are separate and honored by the manufacturer.

05

Calls answered during business hours.

My main line rings directly to my mobile. If I can't pick up because I'm mid-install, an automated assistant takes a clear message and I return the call before the next morning.

06

Candor about what I don't do.

Drywall, high-voltage electrical, structural carpentry, enterprise-scale IT: not my lane. I'll tell you so on the first call and point you to someone whose lane it is.

04 · When & where

One engineer, a finite calendar.

Rouge Tech is a one-person practice by design. That means predictable response during business hours, a small geographic footprint, and an honest waitlist when the calendar fills up. I'd rather tell you "three weeks out" than overbook and deliver late.

Primary service area: East Baton Rouge Parish and Ascension Parish. I'll travel to Livingston or West Baton Rouge for larger projects. For locations farther out, the first call is still free — we'll see if it makes sense.

Outside business hours, the main number routes to an automated assistant that captures your message and forwards it to me. True emergencies (outage affecting a business operation) are routed to my mobile directly.

Monday8:00 AM – 6:00 PMOpen
Tuesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PMOpen
Wednesday8:00 AM – 6:00 PMOpen
Thursday8:00 AM – 6:00 PMOpen
Friday8:00 AM – 6:00 PMOpen
Saturday9:00 AM – 3:00 PMLimited
SundayClosedMessages only
Central time. Remote Rescue available any time by appointment. Same-day reply to calls, texts, and emails received before 5:00 PM on weekdays. Messages after hours are returned first thing the next business morning.
Also worth asking

The questions people usually ask next.

Do I have to start with a Remote Rescue?

Only if the problem is a fix, not a project. If you're planning an install, a migration, or a bigger piece of work, skip the Rescue and call to scope a project directly — that conversation is free.

What if the Remote Rescue doesn't fix it in twenty minutes?

We don't stop the clock and keep billing. If the fix is genuinely bigger than a Rescue, I tell you what I see, what it would take, and we schedule the follow-on properly — with the $40 credited toward that work.

Do you subcontract out any of the installs?

No. Every cable, every access point, every camera is installed by me. If your project needs significant drywall repair or construction work done, I will subcontract that work to a select list of industry partners that I trust to do the job right.

How do you handle changes mid-project?

Short answer: in writing, before work proceeds. We agree on the change, the new number, and the new timeline in an email or a one-page amendment. I don't add anything to a final invoice that we didn't discuss first.

What happens if something breaks after you leave?

Within ninety days of project completion, I come back and fix it if the failure is in how I installed it. No drive-out fee, no labor charge. If the failure is a hardware defect, I handle the warranty claim on your behalf and coordinate the replacement.

Do you do commercial or enterprise IT?

I handle small-business IT for offices of roughly one to fifteen people — the range one engineer can serve well. For larger organizations, Rouge Tech isn't the right fit, and I'll tell you so on the first call.

Ready when you are

Let's talk about what you need.

The first call is free and honest. If Rouge Tech isn't the right fit for your project, I'll tell you so and point you to someone whose lane it is. Either way, you won't waste an afternoon.

Call or text (979) 877-8711 → Email hello@getrougetech.com
Mon–Fri 8a–6p · Sat 9a–3p · Central