diff --git a/src/infrastructure/router/cascade.py b/src/infrastructure/router/cascade.py
index 1cb9747a..be85939f 100644
--- a/src/infrastructure/router/cascade.py
+++ b/src/infrastructure/router/cascade.py
@@ -528,6 +528,71 @@ class CascadeRouter:
 
         return True
 
+    def _filter_providers(self, cascade_tier: str | None) -> list["Provider"]:
+        """Return the provider list filtered by tier.
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: If a tier is specified but no matching providers exist.
+        """
+        if cascade_tier == "frontier_required":
+            providers = [p for p in self.providers if p.type == "anthropic"]
+            if not providers:
+                raise RuntimeError("No Anthropic provider configured for 'frontier_required' tier.")
+            return providers
+        if cascade_tier:
+            providers = [p for p in self.providers if p.tier == cascade_tier]
+            if not providers:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"No providers found for tier: {cascade_tier}")
+            return providers
+        return self.providers
+
+    async def _try_single_provider(
+        self,
+        provider: "Provider",
+        messages: list[dict],
+        model: str | None,
+        temperature: float,
+        max_tokens: int | None,
+        content_type: ContentType,
+        errors: list[str],
+    ) -> dict | None:
+        """Attempt one provider, returning a result dict on success or None on failure.
+
+        On failure the error string is appended to *errors* and the provider's
+        failure metrics are updated so the caller can move on to the next provider.
+        """
+        if not self._is_provider_available(provider):
+            return None
+
+        # Metabolic protocol: skip cloud providers when quota is low
+        if provider.type in ("anthropic", "openai", "grok"):
+            if not self._quota_allows_cloud(provider):
+                logger.info(
+                    "Metabolic protocol: skipping cloud provider %s (quota too low)",
+                    provider.name,
+                )
+                return None
+
+        selected_model, is_fallback_model = self._select_model(provider, model, content_type)
+
+        try:
+            result = await self._attempt_with_retry(
+                provider, messages, selected_model, temperature, max_tokens, content_type
+            )
+        except RuntimeError as exc:
+            errors.append(str(exc))
+            self._record_failure(provider)
+            return None
+
+        self._record_success(provider, result.get("latency_ms", 0))
+        return {
+            "content": result["content"],
+            "provider": provider.name,
+            "model": result.get("model", selected_model or provider.get_default_model()),
+            "latency_ms": result.get("latency_ms", 0),
+            "is_fallback_model": is_fallback_model,
+        }
+
     async def complete(
         self,
         messages: list[dict],
@@ -561,55 +626,15 @@ class CascadeRouter:
         if content_type != ContentType.TEXT:
             logger.debug("Detected %s content, selecting appropriate model", content_type.value)
 
-        errors = []
-
-        providers = self.providers
-        if cascade_tier == "frontier_required":
-            providers = [p for p in self.providers if p.type == "anthropic"]
-            if not providers:
-                raise RuntimeError("No Anthropic provider configured for 'frontier_required' tier.")
-        elif cascade_tier:
-            providers = [p for p in self.providers if p.tier == cascade_tier]
-            if not providers:
-                raise RuntimeError(f"No providers found for tier: {cascade_tier}")
+        errors: list[str] = []
+        providers = self._filter_providers(cascade_tier)
 
         for provider in providers:
-            if not self._is_provider_available(provider):
-                continue
-
-            # Metabolic protocol: skip cloud providers when quota is low
-            if provider.type in ("anthropic", "openai", "grok"):
-                if not self._quota_allows_cloud(provider):
-                    logger.info(
-                        "Metabolic protocol: skipping cloud provider %s (quota too low)",
-                        provider.name,
-                    )
-                    continue
-
-            selected_model, is_fallback_model = self._select_model(provider, model, content_type)
-
-            try:
-                result = await self._attempt_with_retry(
-                    provider,
-                    messages,
-                    selected_model,
-                    temperature,
-                    max_tokens,
-                    content_type,
-                )
-            except RuntimeError as exc:
-                errors.append(str(exc))
-                self._record_failure(provider)
-                continue
-
-            self._record_success(provider, result.get("latency_ms", 0))
-            return {
-                "content": result["content"],
-                "provider": provider.name,
-                "model": result.get("model", selected_model or provider.get_default_model()),
-                "latency_ms": result.get("latency_ms", 0),
-                "is_fallback_model": is_fallback_model,
-            }
+            result = await self._try_single_provider(
+                provider, messages, model, temperature, max_tokens, content_type, errors
+            )
+            if result is not None:
+                return result
 
         raise RuntimeError(f"All providers failed: {'; '.join(errors)}")
 
diff --git a/tests/infrastructure/test_router_cascade.py b/tests/infrastructure/test_router_cascade.py
index 10aa9ac0..aaa79bbc 100644
--- a/tests/infrastructure/test_router_cascade.py
+++ b/tests/infrastructure/test_router_cascade.py
@@ -1376,3 +1376,141 @@ class TestIsProviderAvailable:
         result = router._is_provider_available(provider)
         assert result is True
         assert provider.circuit_state == CircuitState.HALF_OPEN
+
+
+@pytest.mark.unit
+class TestFilterProviders:
+    """Test _filter_providers helper extracted from complete()."""
+
+    def _router(self) -> CascadeRouter:
+        router = CascadeRouter(config_path=Path("/nonexistent"))
+        router.providers = [
+            Provider(
+                name="anthropic-p",
+                type="anthropic",
+                enabled=True,
+                priority=1,
+                api_key="key",
+                tier="frontier",
+            ),
+            Provider(
+                name="ollama-p",
+                type="ollama",
+                enabled=True,
+                priority=2,
+                tier="local",
+            ),
+        ]
+        return router
+
+    def test_no_tier_returns_all_providers(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        result = router._filter_providers(None)
+        assert result is router.providers
+
+    def test_frontier_required_returns_only_anthropic(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        result = router._filter_providers("frontier_required")
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert result[0].type == "anthropic"
+
+    def test_frontier_required_no_anthropic_raises(self):
+        router = CascadeRouter(config_path=Path("/nonexistent"))
+        router.providers = [
+            Provider(name="ollama-p", type="ollama", enabled=True, priority=1)
+        ]
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="No Anthropic provider configured"):
+            router._filter_providers("frontier_required")
+
+    def test_named_tier_filters_by_tier(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        result = router._filter_providers("local")
+        assert len(result) == 1
+        assert result[0].name == "ollama-p"
+
+    def test_named_tier_not_found_raises(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="No providers found for tier"):
+            router._filter_providers("nonexistent")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.unit
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+class TestTrySingleProvider:
+    """Test _try_single_provider helper extracted from complete()."""
+
+    def _router(self) -> CascadeRouter:
+        return CascadeRouter(config_path=Path("/nonexistent"))
+
+    def _provider(self, name: str = "test", ptype: str = "ollama") -> Provider:
+        return Provider(
+            name=name,
+            type=ptype,
+            enabled=True,
+            priority=1,
+            models=[{"name": "llama3.2", "default": True}],
+        )
+
+    async def test_unavailable_provider_returns_none(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        provider = self._provider()
+        provider.enabled = False
+        errors: list[str] = []
+        result = await router._try_single_provider(
+            provider, [], None, 0.7, None, ContentType.TEXT, errors
+        )
+        assert result is None
+        assert errors == []
+
+    async def test_quota_blocked_cloud_provider_returns_none(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        provider = self._provider(ptype="anthropic")
+        errors: list[str] = []
+        with patch("infrastructure.router.cascade._quota_monitor") as mock_qm:
+            mock_qm.select_model.return_value = "qwen3:14b"  # non-cloud → ACTIVE tier
+            mock_qm.check.return_value = None
+            result = await router._try_single_provider(
+                provider, [], None, 0.7, None, ContentType.TEXT, errors
+            )
+        assert result is None
+        assert errors == []
+
+    async def test_success_returns_result_dict(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        provider = self._provider()
+        errors: list[str] = []
+        with patch.object(router, "_call_ollama") as mock_call:
+            mock_call.return_value = {"content": "hi", "model": "llama3.2"}
+            result = await router._try_single_provider(
+                provider,
+                [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}],
+                None,
+                0.7,
+                None,
+                ContentType.TEXT,
+                errors,
+            )
+        assert result is not None
+        assert result["content"] == "hi"
+        assert result["provider"] == "test"
+        assert errors == []
+
+    async def test_failure_appends_error_and_returns_none(self):
+        router = self._router()
+        provider = self._provider()
+        errors: list[str] = []
+        with patch.object(router, "_call_ollama") as mock_call:
+            mock_call.side_effect = RuntimeError("boom")
+            result = await router._try_single_provider(
+                provider,
+                [{"role": "user", "content": "hi"}],
+                None,
+                0.7,
+                None,
+                ContentType.TEXT,
+                errors,
+            )
+        assert result is None
+        assert len(errors) == 1
+        assert "boom" in errors[0]
+        assert provider.metrics.failed_requests == 1