Tool area
Pricing & Rates
Price projects, retainers and professional time with enough room for overhead, non-billable work and profit.
18 calculators · 20 practical guides
Calculators
Work out the number first
Each calculator shows the formula, the result in plain language, assumptions that can distort it and a useful next step.
Freelance Hourly Rate CalculatorEstimate the minimum hourly rate needed to cover an income target, annual business costs and realistic billable hours.Consulting Rate CalculatorTurn an annual earnings target and utilization assumption into a sustainable consulting rate.Agency Hourly Rate CalculatorCalculate a sustainable sell rate from loaded labor cost, overhead allocation and target margin.Day Rate CalculatorConvert an hourly rate into a day rate while accounting for the number of truly billable hours in a working day.Project Price CalculatorEstimate a project price from delivery hours, effective cost, direct expenses and target margin.Fixed-Price Project CalculatorCheck the fixed price needed to protect a target margin after estimated labor and direct costs.Monthly Retainer CalculatorPrice a monthly retainer from expected service hours, delivery cost and desired gross margin.Weekly Retainer CalculatorEstimate a weekly retainer that covers delivery time, direct costs and target margin.Value-Based Pricing CalculatorTranslate an estimated client outcome into a value-based project price using a chosen share of created value.Minimum Profitable Rate CalculatorFind the minimum rate that covers loaded cost and still delivers the margin you require.Break-Even Hourly Rate CalculatorCalculate the hourly rate where revenue exactly covers annual costs at your expected billable hours.Effective Hourly Rate CalculatorSee what a fixed project or retainer actually paid per hour after all time spent.Rate Increase CalculatorMeasure the dollar and percentage effect of raising your professional rate.Discount Impact CalculatorSee how a client discount changes revenue, profit and margin instead of looking only at the headline percentage.Rush Fee CalculatorAdd a transparent rush premium to work that requires priority scheduling or compressed delivery.Scope Creep Pricing CalculatorPrice additional work based on extra hours, cost rate and target margin.Revision Cost CalculatorCalculate what included or unplanned revision rounds cost in delivery time.Weekend & Priority Rate CalculatorApply a priority premium to your standard rate for weekend, after-hours or reserved-capacity work.
Guides
Understand the decision behind the formula
How Much Should I Charge per Hour?Build a rate from income needs, business costs and billable capacity instead of copying another freelancer’s number.How to Price a Fixed ProjectTurn labor, direct costs, risk and margin into a fixed project price you can defend.Hourly vs Project PricingCompare when hourly billing protects you and when fixed pricing better matches the client outcome.How to Price a Monthly RetainerSet retainer scope, capacity and margin before agreeing to a recurring monthly fee.Consulting Rate Formula ExplainedUnderstand why a sustainable consulting rate depends on utilization and overhead, not salary alone.Billable Hours vs Working HoursSeparate paid delivery time from sales, admin, learning and operations before calculating a rate.How to Raise Your Rate Without Losing the MathMeasure the revenue effect of a rate increase before changing client pricing.How to Price Scope CreepRecognize additional scope early and convert it into a transparent change in price or timeline.How Many Revisions Should a Project Include?Use revision cost and uncertainty to decide what belongs in the base scope.How to Calculate a Rush FeePrice compressed timelines based on displaced capacity and delivery risk rather than an arbitrary surcharge.Day Rate vs Hourly RateCompare day rates and hourly rates using realistic billable hours and scheduling constraints.What Is Your Minimum Profitable Rate?Find the rate below which the work no longer supports required cost and margin.How Discounts Affect Professional-Service ProfitSee why a small price discount can cause a much larger reduction in project profit.Value-Based Pricing: A Practical Starting PointUse client value as one input to pricing without pretending every project can be priced from value alone.How to Price Projects with Uncertain ScopeUse assumptions, contingency and explicit change control when the final effort is not yet known.Should Discovery Be Paid?Treat diagnosis, workshops and scoping as work when they consume meaningful professional capacity.How to Build a Simple Rate CardCreate a small, understandable rate card that reflects different delivery costs and service levels.Pricing Part-Time Freelance WorkAccount for limited capacity and non-billable overhead even when freelancing is not full time.How to Reprice a Long-Term ClientRecalculate effective rate and margin before renewing legacy client pricing.How to Price a New ServiceEstimate labor, direct costs, uncertainty and target margin when you have limited historical data.