Fixed price vs. hourly — how I help clients choose

Every client asks the same thing early on: "Can you give me a fixed price?" And my answer is always: "Maybe — let's see what we're actually building."

When fixed price is the right call

Fixed price works when the scope is genuinely fixed. A clear brief, a data model we've both signed off on, screens we've wireframed. In that world, I can quote confidently and you get certainty.

That's most first-time builds. If it's your first app with me, fixed price is usually where we land.

When hourly is the honest answer

Hourly (or prepaid hour packages) is honest when:

• The scope will move — you're still figuring out what users want
• It's ongoing work — small changes, new features, integrations as they come up
• You want to steer week by week rather than commit to a spec

Most of my long-term clients are on hour packages, because after the initial build the work is inherently exploratory.

The trap I try to avoid

Quoting fixed price on something that's actually exploratory. It always ends the same way: change orders, awkward conversations, and one of us feeling like we got the worse end of the deal. I'd rather have a five-minute honest conversation upfront.