[iStudent 2003]

How much should I charge to redesign a whole site of about 50 pages? I just graduated with a CS degree, and I know XHTML, CSS, PHP and MySQL. I have built 2 full database driven web sites, both with a CMS, but I didn't get paid for ether of them.

I was thinking about charging $35 an hour, but the client is a New York Jew (I am not anti-Semitic and this worn't be a problem), and the guy who told me about this job said, I'll have to have a bit thicked skin to work with them. So that’s why I was thinking about not charging per hour, because they might be thinking that I'll milk them for all they are wroth by working slow (which of course I wouldn’t).

I talked with a one of my profs a few months ago, and he said that database driven web site of 50 pages with a CMS, would be at least a $1,000, but I don't they want that. I think they just want a plan XHTML web site.

So, any ideas of how much I should charge?

[Simon Mundy]

I only charge as much as I can get away with.

It's very simple - you calculate your time to build the site at $35/hour and then agree on the final figure as a fixed-sum agreement. Then everyone knows where they stand. If you and the client draw up a very strict functional spec then it protects you both even more - if they decide mid-project that they want something new or drastically altered, you can offer them a 'change request' quoted out in a similar fashion.

Never be afraid to talk money up-front with your clients. Even if the estimated project price is higher than they were expecting, if you conduct yourself in a professional manner then they will see the value in investing that money in your time.

Good luck!

[m a d r a]

in my experience, it's not getting clients to agree a price at the start that's the problem - it's getting the bastards to pay up within a reasonable number of millenia afterwards

[Macola]

Originally posted by m a d r a:
in my experience, it's not getting clients to agree a price at the start that's the problem - it's getting the bastards to pay up within a reasonable number of millenia afterwards

On a related note, make sure your contract specifies 50% up front, and has a kill fee.

[redJag]

And don't give them the final till you have check in hand

[fiesta cat]

Originally posted by Simon Mundy:
Never be afraid to talk money up-front with your clients. Even if the estimated project price is higher than they were expecting, if you conduct yourself in a professional manner then they will see the value in investing that money in your time.

In fact, it's even more professional to get it out in the open and dealt with quickly. It lessens the chance that miscommunications down the road could jeopardize the project. It also is an indication that you take the it seriously, and it prevents you from getting screwed over, as others have said.

[Arkham_c]

I gave up charging by the hour. You always end up working more than you bill for, or else the client complains about the cost. Instead, I now charge by line item. For example, for PHP-driven sites, I use the following:

PHP view screens: $ 25 each (15 minutes)
Management pages: $ 17 each (10 minutes)
Database tables: $ 25 each (15 minutes)
data objects: $ 50 each (30 minutes)
data manager: $100 per data object
non-database data manager: $ 25 per data object
updating static pages with php links: $ 5 per page
email script: $ 50 each
install, db config, 3 months maintenance $ 35 flat fee

[himself]

Originally posted by Arkham_c:
I gave up charging by the hour. You always end up working more than you bill for, or else the client complains about the cost. Instead, I now charge by line item. For example, for PHP-driven sites, I use the following:

PHP view screens: $ 25 each (15 minutes)
Management pages: $ 17 each (10 minutes)
Database tables: $ 25 each (15 minutes)
data objects: $ 50 each (30 minutes)
data manager: $100 per data object
non-database data manager: $ 25 per data object
updating static pages with php links: $ 5 per page
email script: $ 50 each
install, db config, 3 months maintenance $ 35 flat fee

I set my initial fee by estimating how many hours it'll take me to complete the project; first I break it down into its component phases, determine how long it may take for each component, add a cushion of a few hours (those extra hours are usually needed), and then I have my initial fee. I keep strict track of my time usage on a project to make sure I stay within budget and on time. If the client wants additions or changes in the scope of the project, I inform them that those changes will incur an hourly charge. It works out well for me.

Charging by line item may work for some (or even many) projects, but for me, I can't always accurately predict exactly how much of each item or component I'll implement, so I couldn't always quote the most accurate fee. Besides, managing my projects by time usage makes it much easier for me to manage multiple projects by allotting my time between projects appropriately.