Just turned down a big job in Austin because they wanted to pay by the hour

Had a choice between a 40 hour a week contract at $65 an hour or a flat project fee of $5,000. I picked the flat fee because the scope was clear and I knew I could finish it in under 60 hours. Ended up wrapping it in 55 hours, so my effective rate was better. Anyone else have a rule about when to avoid hourly work?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly.mia5d ago

Honestly, I was all about hourly rates for years. It felt like the safe bet. But I got burned a couple times on projects that dragged on because of client changes and endless feedback. Now, if the scope is locked down tight and I know my speed, I go for the flat fee every time. You protected yourself from scope creep and got paid for your efficiency. That's the smart move.

matthew_patel685d ago

Totally agree @kelly.mia. Learned that lesson the hard way too when a "simple" job turned into a month of tiny changes.

spencerross5d ago

Tell me about it. I had a client who wanted a basic logo and it turned into fifty rounds of tweaks on the color blue. Switched to flat fees for clear projects after that mess. You have to get everything in writing up front, no wiggle room. It saves so many arguments later on. Getting paid for your speed instead of your time is the only way to stay sane.