Freelance billing question
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- rafalski
I was wondering.. How do you round up the hours?
Say, you've worked for 9 hrs 10 mins. Do you bill for 9, 9.15, 9.30 or full hours, which would make it 10?
- PonyBoy0
10 + 4 hrs gratuity
- MrDaro0
I round up to the nearest hour. I'd bill just the 9 hours, but that's just me.
- PonyBoy0
srlsly though... i actually split at the half hour depending on how many hours are into the project
- PonyBoy0
sometimes I add on hours for the 'annoyance' factor for such things as their unpreparedness... inability to get back to you in a timely fashion etc...
... when I break a schedule i lose money... i'll pass off a bit of that cost to those who are adding more work to my load due to their lack of pre-prep before initiating the project... if that makes sense?
- kingsteven0
Depends on the client. I have a daily charge (works out around 6h) I whap out for the lads.
- letters20
If you're stringent about billing for coordination time, research, capturing process, etc. then you could bill this example by rounding down or to the nearest half hour (if you are using hourly rates). However if you are not estimating with coordination time, etc (as many designers I've seen don't) then I'd advise always rounding ut to the nearest hour, whether from 5 minutes or 50.
- PonyBoy0
i use dayrates for week-long team-efforts or extended periods of time...
... but if I can... I guess i prefer a project rate in the end - and i quote up-front and make sure to include 'annoyance time' in my quote.
- rafalski0
Thanks for the info.. Even if everyone said something else!
- meffid0
I only quote a day rate also, (for anywhere between 4 and 10 hours work) but underneath that it has an hourly rate... for say when I answer the phone to a client, 15 mins on a call... they get charged an hour because chances are they're not the client I'm working for right at that time and they're taking time out of my daily flat rate. Geddit?
- Mojo0
At the end of the day, you probably won't be questioned about it - just work for what you think the time is worth!
There should be a rought formula, but at the end of the day, if you think a client has more money you push for it.
- dog_opus0
Yeah, I don't round. Ten minutes is 1/6 of your hourly rate.