I finally asked for a project rate instead of hourly and it went sideways

Last week, a regular client in Chicago asked me to design a new logo and some social posts. I usually charge $50 an hour, but this time I quoted a flat $800 for the whole job. They agreed right away, which felt great. The problem was they kept adding 'just one more little thing' every day for a week. I ended up doing almost double the work I planned for. Now I'm stuck with the same pay and way more hours. How do you guys write your contracts to stop this from happening?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cameron21h ago

That "just one more little thing" trap is exactly why flat rates can backfire. You have to define the project scope in writing before you start, listing exactly what's included. My contracts now say any extra work outside that list gets billed hourly at my normal rate. It feels awkward at first but it stops the endless revisions.

vera2910h ago

Okay but "endless revisions" sounds a bit dramatic. Most clients aren't trying to scam you, they just don't get how much work a small change can be. A quick chat can usually fix it without needing a scary contract right away. Feels like we're making every client out to be the enemy sometimes.

sandra_moore3018h ago

Remember my cousin tried to do a flat rate for a website. Client asked for a whole new page a week after launch, like it was part of the deal. He had to dig out their old emails to show them the list.