Why every engagement is fixed-price

I quote fixed prices. Every engagement, agreed in writing before any work starts. Here’s the thinking behind it.

Hourly billing rewards the wrong things

When you bill by the hour, the slow, meandering version of the work pays better than the fast, focused one. That’s a strange incentive to put between a studio and the people it’s trying to help. It also means you can’t really budget — the final number is a mystery until the invoice lands.

Fixed scope keeps both sides honest

Before anything starts, we write down exactly what’s included and what isn’t. You know the price. I know the boundaries. Nobody’s watching a meter.

• You can budget. The number is the number.
• I’m rewarded for being good, not slow. Working efficiently helps both of us.
• Scope creep is a conversation, not a surprise. New requests get re-quoted openly, never quietly billed.

The one exception

Ongoing support is the exception, because “keep helping as things come up” genuinely doesn’t have a fixed scope. That’s what the retainer is for — a monthly block of hours at a clear rate.

Start small if you want

If committing to a fixed price still feels like a leap with someone new, the $500 Infrastructure Audit is a low-risk way to see how I work before a bigger build.

Clear scope, clear price, written down. It’s better for everyone — including me.