Every year, BuyerZone helps over 10,000 businesses buy phone systems. Here's a sampling of the prices they paid, as reported to us.

Remember that you may have to pay an annual fee for maintenance and service of your phone system. Some dealers may include that cost in the purchase price, as some of these buyers mention, but others may invoice you annually.

• Prices for very small phone systems
• Prices for small phone systems
• Prices for CTI and mid-sized systems

Very small phone systems

Our buyers with fewer than 10 employees report prices from about $2,000 to $5,000. These also include voicemail and auto attendant phone features.

• "DS2000 NEC telephone system. 5 phones and installation: $2,200."

  -- Manufacturing, Colton, California

• "$1,915 for a Nortel Norstar CICS with Call Pilot 100 voice mail, caller ID, and five phones (Nortel T7316E)."

  -- Lawyer, San Francisco, California

• "$4,500. Merlin Legend, 15 phones, 8 lines, Voicemail, auto attendant, hold music."

  -- Marketing consultant, Parkville, Maryland

• "$2,399 for switch, voice mail, and 8 telephones."

  -- Mortgage lender, Orlando, Florida

• "$4,933, nine display speaker phones, voice mail, auto attendant phone system, remote access, unified messaging, caller ID, radio (for music on hold), installation and perpetual service, maintenance and back-up of the system."

  -- Business services provider, Pasadena, California

• "$3,500 with individual voice mail and 8 phone lines. They also worked with the local phone companies and helped set up the lines."

  -- Retailer, Miami, Florida

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Small phone systems

Businesses with 10 to 20 employees that need only basic phone services such as direct dialing, voicemail, and music on hold can usually find adequate systems for $3,000 - $10,000.

All of these buyers reported getting voice mail with their phone systems, and most included auto attendant phone and music on hold features as well.

• "$3,950. 9 phones, voice mail, automated answering."

  – Real Estate Office, Bellingham, Washington

• "$6,000 -- 16 phone system."

  -- Credit Association, Trevose, Pennsylvania

• "We paid $3,620 plus installation for the phone system upgrade."

  -- IT consulting, Salem, Massachusetts

• "$8,200; basic voice mail system, conference phone, 10 6-button phones; 14 18-button phones; 1 34-button receptionist phone; backup battery, surgemax, installation, etc."

  -- Physician's office, Newburgh, New York

• "$5,000 entire phone system hardware, service contract, and line set up."

  -- Church, Kissimmee, Florida

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CTI and mid-sized systems

The most expensive phone system purchases involve larger systems or computer telephony integration (CTI). CTI is the technology behind applications such as "screen pops," the automatic display of callers' information as calls are answered.

These larger systems all include voice mail, messaging on hold, and auto attendant. They cost tens of thousands of dollars, often running around $1,000 per extension.

• "$18,000. 25 phones, 3 Engenious cordless units, and a 6-speaker paging system." (20 - 29 extensions, CTI)

  – Manufacturer, Gearhart, Oregon

• "$41,000 for phone system, voice mail, PoE switches, cabling, training, 3 years of support." (50 -69 extensions, CTI)

  -- IT consultant, Chicago, Illinois

• "$32,000 - Phones, supporting hardware, support software." (20 - 29 extensions, CTI.)

  -- Medical data provider, Nashville, Tennessee

• "$14,000 - 12 phones, system software, etc." (10 -14 extensions, CTI.)

  -- Shipping company, Millbrook, New York

• "$40,000 - hardware, software, wiring." (30 - 49 extensions.)

  -- Publishing consultant, Englewood, New Jersey

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Want more information on choosing a phone system? Read our Phone Systems Buyer’s Guide. For hosted PBX phone systems without the typical hardware and installation process, read our Hosted PBX Phone Systems Buyer’s Guide. To review in-depth phone system company profiles, use our instant provider comparison service.

Information was provided by BuyerZone.com users. Quotes have been edited for clarity only.

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