Quick answer
Confirm target income, billable hours, costs, tax, margin, market rate and payment terms one by one. A day rate is not hourly x8; effective billable hours may be 5-7.
Why it matters
Miss one input and the price is wrong.
Meetings/communication/rework may be unbilled.
Step by step
- Set a target annual income (keep pre/post-tax consistent).
- Add business costs/tax/insurance/gaps/margin.
- Calculate real billable hours per year, then divide to get the floor hourly rate.
- Calibrate with market/peer/closed-deal data; don't reverse-engineer a low price.
- State scope/payment/revision limits/rush fees in the quote.
Common mistakes
- Assuming 40 hours x 52 weeks are billable.
- Omitting tax/software/insurance/gaps/bad debt.
- Copying a competitor's low price without covering costs.
- Letting scope creep go unpaid.
Checklist
- Target income/costs/tax/margin confirmed.
- Billable hours reduced for gaps/admin/sales.
- Hourly/day/project rates use consistent assumptions.
- Market rate cross-checked.
- Quote includes scope/payment/revisions/rush terms.
Key facts
- Meetings/communication/rework may be unbilled.
- A day rate covers the opportunity cost of the day.
FAQ
What should I check before setting Day rate?
Confirm target income, billable hours, costs, tax, margin, market rate and payment terms one by one. A day rate is not hourly x8; effective billable hours may be 5-7.
How long does it take?
Usually 1-3 minutes; for intermittent issues, run 30 seconds and retest elsewhere.
Is data uploaded?
Runs locally and does not upload video/audio; extensions may still read the page.
Source: Freelancers Union