Do we need a dedicated receptionist phone?

If one person answers the main number, yes — an expansion module showing who's on the phone (busy-lamp field) is the difference between graceful transfers and guesswork. It is the single highest-value hardware upgrade in this budget.

Should we buy a second internet connection?

At 10 users, voice needs under 1 Mbps but is very sensitive to congestion. If your single circuit saturates daily (backups, guest Wi-Fi, point-of-sale), a modest second circuit used for voice is a sound ~$60–$100/month insurance — see the bandwidth cost guide.

What does the per-user cost trend tell us?

All-in cost per user falls slightly with size ($33 at 5 users, ~$32 at 10, ~$32 at 25) because fixed items dilute — until 50 users, where dedicated admin and redundancy push it back up. Scale discounts come from seat-tier negotiation, not arithmetic.

VoIP Costs

VoIP Budget for a 10-User Business: Worked Example

By the VoIP Cost Guide Editorial Team | Last updated: October 2026

Ten users is the size where a phone system stops being an app and becomes infrastructure: there is a front desk (or should be), a shared main number that cannot ring one person's desk, and enough fee lines that the taxes-and-fees factor visibly moves the total. This worked budget uses the site's standard illustrative rates — $25 mid-tier seat, $1 DID, $1.25 e911 per line, 18% taxes and fees — so it compares directly with our 5-, 25- and 50-user budgets.

The 10-user shape that works: a real reception point (person or auto-attendant), common-area pricing on the phones that belong to rooms rather than people, and phones bought, not rented.

Monthly budget (illustrative rates)

Line item	Math	Monthly
Seats (mid tier)	10 × $25	$250.00
DID numbers (10 user + 1 main)	11 × $1	$11.00
E911 service	11 × $1.25	$13.75
Taxes & fees (planning factor)	18% of $274.75	$49.46
Total monthly		≈ $324
Per user, all-in	$324 ÷ 10	≈ $32

One-time budget

Phones: nine standard desk phones at $110 ($990) plus one receptionist phone with an expansion module at $220 — $1,210 total. Network: one 16/24-port gigabit PoE switch at $350. Installation and call-flow configuration: $400 if outsourced, $0 if your provider includes onboarding (many do at 10 seats — ask). Total one-time ≈ $1,960 outsourced, or about $1,560 with included onboarding. The line most 10-user budgets miss is a cordless DECT phone for the person who roams (warehouse, floor, workshop) at ~$150 — buy it in the project, not as an emergency later. Also budget an hour to record a professional auto-attendant greeting; it is the voice of the business and callers judge it.

Decisions specific to 10 users

Choose the reception model first — human receptionist with a sidecar phone, auto-attendant first, or hybrid by time of day. It drives hardware and call-flow cost.
Ask for common-area licensing for meeting-room and break-room phones instead of full seats (see the pricing-models guide).
Confirm the mid tier includes the call queue you need for the main number; queues are the most common tier-gate surprise at this size.
Plan DID discipline from day one: a DID per user plus the main number — not per role, project and ex-employee.
Schedule the number port for a low-volume day and keep the old system forwarding until it completes.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a dedicated receptionist phone?: If one person answers the main number, yes — an expansion module showing who's on the phone (busy-lamp field) is the difference between graceful transfers and guesswork. It is the single highest-value hardware upgrade in this budget.
Should we buy a second internet connection?: At 10 users, voice needs under 1 Mbps but is very sensitive to congestion. If your single circuit saturates daily (backups, guest Wi-Fi, point-of-sale), a modest second circuit used for voice is a sound ~$60–$100/month insurance — see the bandwidth cost guide.
What does the per-user cost trend tell us?: All-in cost per user falls slightly with size ($33 at 5 users, ~$32 at 10, ~$32 at 25) because fixed items dilute — until 50 users, where dedicated admin and redundancy push it back up. Scale discounts come from seat-tier negotiation, not arithmetic.

Sources and further reading

FCC: Understanding your telephone bill

Related guides

Disclaimer: This guide is educational information based on published VoIP standards and professional practice, not engineering advice for your specific system. VoIP pricing, taxes and fees change and vary by provider and location — verify current figures with providers before purchasing. If your phone system supports emergency calling, work with your provider or a qualified VoIP engineer for changes that affect E911.