The Scaffolding Dividend: Why AI Code Tools Pay Off in Maintenance, Not Greenfield Builds

AI code tools compress the cost of the work agencies already underbill: scaffolding, dependency upkeep, and API break repair. The margin gain comes from redeploying senior architects onto client strategy while agents absorb the repetitive layer, not from replacing the architects. Agencies that treat these tools as a maintenance layer rather than a build substitute capture the speed advantage without inheriting the quality and lock-in risk.