Core formula
Minimum sustainable rate = (target income + business costs + buffer) ÷ realistic billable hours
Use the rate calculator, compare hourly and fixed-price models, then build a scoped price with the project quote calculator.
01
Calculate your sustainable floor
Start with the annual income you need, then add business costs, taxes, unpaid time, and a risk buffer. Divide that total by realistic billable hours—not every hour you work. This gives you a floor below which the engagement is unlikely to remain sustainable.
02
Choose the right pricing unit
Use hourly pricing when scope is evolving, project pricing when deliverables and acceptance criteria are clear, and a monthly engagement when the client needs recurring capacity. The pricing unit should match who carries uncertainty.
03
Price the complete engagement
Account for discovery, meetings, revisions, project management, specialist tools, handover, and payment delay. Work that looks identical on the surface can require very different levels of responsibility and coordination.
04
Adjust for evidence and risk
Relevant results, scarce expertise, reliable delivery, and ownership of a critical outcome can justify a higher rate. Ambiguous scope, compressed timelines, multiple stakeholders, or unusual payment terms also increase delivery risk and should be discussed before quoting.
05
Present assumptions with the price
A useful proposal states the deliverables, timeline, client responsibilities, revision limits, payment milestones, and what triggers a change request. A number without assumptions invites avoidable disagreement.
06
Review your rate using outcomes
After each engagement, compare estimated and actual effort, non-billable time, client fit, and the result delivered. Raise, hold, or restructure your rate based on repeated evidence rather than one difficult project or one unusually easy win.