Chose a flat fee over hourly for a 3 month project

I had a choice between billing hourly at $75 or offering a flat fee of $4,500 for a website update gig. The scope was pretty clear, so I went with the flat fee to avoid the back and forth on time tracking. It felt risky because if it blew up, I'd be eating the extra hours. But I finished in about 6 weeks and made more than I would have hourly. The client also seemed happier knowing the cost upfront, no surprises. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted it later?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor_wells5d ago

Wait, you actually finished in 6 weeks and made more than your hourly rate?

angelamurphy5d ago

Yep, pulled $3,200 in 5 weeks working maybe 10 hours a week.

aliceharris5d ago

I did the same thing last year with a $5,000 flat fee for a Shopify redesign and wrapped it up in 4 weeks, way more than my hourly would've been. Felt like I was gambling but man it paid off... the client was so relieved knowing exactly what they'd owe.