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Pricing your work
How Much Should You Charge? Job Price Calculator
Stop guessing. Pick the job type, set your hourly rate, and get three numbers: your walk-away floor, the price to quote, and the premium to charge when demand is high.
Price the job, not the hours
Clients do not buy your hours; they buy the finished job. But most freelancers still price backwards — they guess a number that sounds nice, then discover the hours ate it alive. Pricing from your rate and a realistic hour count, with a buffer on top, is how the number survives contact with reality.
Start from the job type to get a typical hour count, then make it yours: fast specialists adjust down, careful craftspeople adjust up. Multiply by the hourly rate your business actually needs (not the one you wish you could charge), add project expenses, then add a buffer. The buffer is not greed — it is the revisions, the “quick calls,” and the admin nobody puts in the proposal.
The three numbers serve three moments. The floor is private: never accept less. The target is what you quote. The premium is for when you are turning work away — that is the market telling you the price is too low, so charge it and bank the difference.
Pricing questions, answered
How much should I charge for a website?
It depends on scope and experience. Published guides put typical ranges at roughly $300–$1,500 for a basic beginner site, $2,000–$10,000 for a small-business site, and $10,000+ for custom builds — but your price should come from your hours and your rate, not someone else's range. Use the calculator above with your numbers.
How do I price freelance work?
The defensible formula: estimated hours × your hourly rate + project expenses + a buffer (15–20%) for revisions and scope creep. That gives you a quote you can explain instead of a number you guessed.
Should I charge hourly or per project?
Per project, usually. Hourly billing punishes you for getting faster and invites arguments over timesheets; project pricing lets the client judge the outcome. Use your hourly rate privately to build the quote, then present one number.
What is a good buffer percentage?
15–20% is a sane starting point for most freelance work. If your projects regularly blow through the buffer, raise the buffer rather than quietly donating the hours.
How much deposit should I ask for upfront?
50% upfront is the common standard for project work. It filters out unserious clients and protects you if a project stalls halfway.
What if a client says my price is too high?
Check it against your floor first. If the price is above your floor, you can negotiate scope — fewer deliverables, fewer revision rounds — instead of discounting your rate. Never negotiate below the floor; that is the number where the job costs you money.