Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

c/first-gig-pricing

25

craig.parker•1d ago

Warning: I charged $50 for a full website build in 2021, but now my base price is $2,500 after learning to value my time and code.

What's a fair starting point for a junior dev's first real project these days?

3

faithpatel•1d ago

My first client told me my $25 logo was 'too cheap to be good'

I was so scared to ask for more back in 2021 that I priced myself at basically nothing. That comment made me realize my low price was making people doubt my work, so I switched to project rates. Has anyone else had a client talk them *into* raising their prices?

5

stella111•1d ago

My first client at the Portland coffee shop offered me $50 for a full website and I just walked away.

He laughed and said 'beginners should be happy to get any work,' but that moment taught me to never let someone else set my worth before I even start.

7

kevinallen•2d ago

I finally got my first logo design job from a guy at the gym

He saw my water bottle sticker and asked me to make a logo for his new protein powder brand, 'Muscle Muffin'. We met at the smoothie bar and he offered me $50 and a free tub of the powder. I was so nervous I just said yes without thinking. Has anyone else taken a weird trade for their first gig?

8

mason.drew•2d ago

I almost gave a friend a huge discount on a website, glad I didn't

My buddy needed a basic site for his new food truck, and I almost quoted him $200 just to be nice. My cousin, who's been freelancing for five years, told me to stop and actually list out the hours. I spent 15 hours on it, which would have been less than $14 an hour. I ended up charging him $600, and he paid it without blinking. How do you guys handle pricing for friends and family?

-1

keith_owens3•3d ago

Charging hourly for my first web build felt like a trap

Everyone in my coding group said to go hourly for my first real job. A local bakery needed a basic site. They pushed for a flat rate of $800 for the whole thing. I went with the flat rate. Took me about 40 hours over three weeks. That's $20 an hour, way under what I hoped for. But I learned the whole project flow, start to finish. If I charged hourly, I would have felt bad for being slow. The flat rate forced me to figure things out without watching the clock. Has anyone else taken a flat fee on their first gig and been glad they did, even if the math looked bad?

6

angela728•4d ago

Can we talk about paying for a pricing template that was basically useless?

I spent $40 on a 'freelance rate calculator' sheet from a big name online, but the numbers it gave me for my first logo job were so high I almost lost the gig... has anyone found a better way to get a starting point that doesn't scare off new customers?

-1

margaretc42•4d ago

My first website quote for a friend went way too low

I built a simple site for a local bakery last month and only asked for $200 because I felt weird charging more. They loved it and told all their friends, now I have three more requests but no idea what to actually charge. How do you figure out a real price after your first one was basically a favor?

19

beng51•4d ago

My first logo job turned into a total mess over the weekend

I quoted a friend $150 for a simple logo, thinking it would take maybe 4 hours. After 3 rounds of changes, they wanted a full brand guide with colors and fonts, which I never agreed to. I spent like 12 hours on it and felt totally stuck. Has anyone else had a small quote blow up because the work got bigger?

15

kevint47•5d ago

Got stuck on a weird bug in my first paid app job

My first real freelance job was a simple website for a local bakery. I told them it would take two days. The whole thing was fine until I tried to make their contact form work. The emails just wouldn't send from their server. I spent almost three full days just on that one problem, reading old forum posts and testing different code. Has anyone else had a small feature eat up way more time than you quoted for?

17

colegarcia•5d ago

Hot take: I saw a guy at the library charging way too little for his first web design job

I was at the main branch downtown yesterday, and this kid at the table next to me was showing his friend a website he built. He said he only asked for $50 for the whole thing, and it looked really good. His friend told him he should have asked for at least five times that. It made me stop and think about my own first quote for a simple logo, which was only $30. Seeing someone else do the same thing, and hearing that reaction, really hit home. How do you even start to figure out a fair number when you have no past jobs to compare to?

10

laura_wilson•5d ago

Update: My first logo design quote got me ghosted for a month

I asked for $50 to make a logo for a local bakery, thinking it was a fair start, but the owner just stopped replying after I sent it. A month later, she messaged saying she found someone cheaper on a different site and asked if I'd match their $15 price. How do you even come back from that low of a counter-offer without feeling totally devalued?

24

ben_fisher•7d ago

Overheard a college kid at the coffee shop in Portland talking about charging $15 for a full website

He was telling his friend he just wanted to get his foot in the door, and it made me think about my first logo job back in 2015. I did a whole brand package for a local food truck for $50 and a few free tacos. Now I see that undercutting yourself that hard just sets a bad standard for everyone, including you. What's the lowest amount you all took for your first project, and do you regret it?

24

max716•9d ago

Honestly, I just did a free 'deep clean' demo for a friend's neighbor and it turned into a 4-hour job.

Tbh, I didn't set a clear scope or price upfront and basically lost a whole morning's potential pay. How do you guys handle pricing for a first-time service like that?

1

adam186•10d ago

Looking back at my first logo job for a coffee shop in Boise

I charged $50 flat and spent over 20 hours on it. I see new people now doing the same thing, taking any price just to get work. It matters because you burn out fast and clients think good work is cheap. How do you even start to figure out a fair hourly rate for that first project?

17

michael803•10d ago

Walked past a new coffee shop in Denver and their pricing board made me rethink my whole approach

I was in the River North area last Thursday and saw a brand new spot called The Daily Grind. They had a huge chalkboard listing all their services, but instead of just coffee prices, they had a whole section for freelance work. It showed a flat $75 fee for a basic social media graphic and a $200 package for three posts. I've always heard you should charge by the hour when you're starting out, to make sure you get paid for all your time. But seeing it laid out like that, as a clear product, it just clicked. It takes the guesswork out for the client and for me. I've been doing web design and spending hours on calls just explaining my hourly rate. Maybe packaging a simple landing page for a set $500 is smarter. Has anyone else switched from hourly to project-based pricing for their first few jobs and had it work better?

8

kevint47•13d ago

Serious question, did anyone else get tricked by 'exposure' for their first freelance job?

I did a full website build for a local band in 2022, and they offered me free tickets and a 'shoutout' instead of cash. I figured it was good for my portfolio. After three months, I realized I'd spent 40 hours on it and had zero paying leads from it. Now, I have a firm rule: my first meeting always includes a clear rate sheet, and I don't start work without a 50% deposit. Has anyone else had to learn this the hard way?

5

susan_allen•13d ago

Just landed my first logo design gig and I'm totally lost on what to charge

A friend of a friend in Austin asked me to design a logo for his new food truck last month. He knows I'm just starting out. I spent about 15 hours on concepts and revisions, but when he asked for my price, I just blurted out $100 because I was nervous. Now I'm worried I way undercharged for the time and effort. How do you even begin to figure out a fair rate for your first project?

8

lisas78•14d ago

My first logo job ended with a chicken as payment

Honestly, I was asked to make a logo for a local farm stand and they said they'd pay 'in trade'. I spent like 8 hours on it, sent the files, and the next day they dropped off a live rooster in a box on my porch. Ngl, I live in an apartment and had no idea what to do with it. Has anyone else gotten paid with something totally wild for their first gig?

9

thomasb41•15d ago

A client in Chicago said my first website price was 'confusingly low'

I quoted $300 flat for a simple 5-page site, and they asked if I was sure I could cover my costs. I switched to an hourly rate of $45, which felt more professional and fair for revisions. How do you decide between flat project fees and hourly for a first gig?

10

nancyramirez•17d ago

Shoutout to the guy who told me to charge by the project, not the hour

For my first logo design job, I almost asked for $25 an hour, thinking it would take me maybe 4 hours. The client was a new cafe in Austin called 'Bean There'. I gave them a flat $300 project fee instead, and it ended up taking me nearly 12 hours with all the revisions. If I'd charged hourly, I would have made way less for way more work. Has anyone else had a project that took way longer than you thought, and how do you guess the time better?

4

matthew_patel68•18d ago

Shoutout to the client who asked for a flat $100 for a full website audit

Honestly, I said yes because I needed the work, but after spending 12 hours on it and finding over 40 critical issues, I learned my 'yes' should have been a 'here's my real rate' and now I'm stuck wondering if I should send a follow-up invoice or just eat the cost this time.

32

paulnguyen•19d ago

My first logo design job in Austin went sideways when the client wanted unlimited revisions.

I quoted $150 flat, but after round 8 of changes, I was working for pennies. How do you guys handle scope creep on a first project?

21

drews55•20d ago

First client paid me $750 for a basic website, which felt insane.

Got a referral from a friend for a local bakery. They just needed a simple 5-page site with a menu. I quoted $300 because I was new and nervous. They came back and said their budget was $750 for a 'professional job'. I almost fell out of my chair. Took it, did the work in about 15 hours. That $50 an hour rate changed how I see my own work now. Anyone else have a client basically set your price for you?

29

shane_wilson•22d ago

My first logo job came down to charging by the hour or a flat fee

A friend in Boulder needed a logo for his new coffee truck, and I was stuck between asking for $25 an hour or a flat $200. I went with the flat fee because it felt less scary to say out loud. It took me about 12 hours total, so I basically worked for less than my target rate, but I got a solid piece for my portfolio. How do you decide which pricing method to lead with for a new client?