Day Rate vs. Hourly
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- effort
I've always wondered how people calculate their day rate. I always try to do an hourly rate, but in some cases clients want a day rate. My gut tells me to multiply my hourly rate by 8 hours and then add an extra hour or two b/c I'm assuming the client wants to do a day rate so they don't have to sweat the clock when I'm still working at 10pm. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
And, yes, I tried the filter. Timeline me if I missed something.
- Mimio0
What the market will bear.
- ismith0
Hourly rate * 24
- effort0
anyone with some actual insight?
- capn_ron0
I think your math is pretty good. I have never done a day rate, so I really don't know what I'm talking about, but your hourly times 9 or 10 would be pretty good. That way even if you work 12 or so, you still did pretty good.
- CALLES0
strippers charge per 3 minute song
- Mimio0
Why not do the averaging from your previous billings?
- Soler0
I would never agree to a day rate without a time limit. For example, here's my day rate but anything over 8 or 9 hours I bill in addition to the day rate.
- effort0
thanks capn_ron.
mimio, i primarily freelance with ad agencies, so the rates and hours worked are all over the place. i should have mentioned that i'm talking about working with agencies and not personal clients.
- Dancer0
I have a day rate and an hourly rate that is more than my day rate divided by 8.
I charge hourly for any work under a day
- set0
I charge my hourly rate x 8 and if a client expects me to work late then I just start charging by the hour after 6, simple as
- myshoeshurt0
I did day rate once and charged my rate by 10 hours per day. Some weeks it ended up cutting it close but for the most part it was fine.
That employer also said that if the overtime got out of control they would let me up my rate or go hourly.
- sintaxera0
I don't normally do day rates for design work (either hourly or project), I see day rates alot with photographers, models, etc.
If the client wants a day rate, then I would assume he's got a doozy in store for you & he'll be expecting you to be working all day/night. I'd do your hourly rate x 10 hours (maybe 12). Like Soler said, be very specific as to how many hours a "day rate" entails & that you will bill on top of the day rate if you exceed that limit....the client may think he's got you on call for 24 hours if he's paying a day rate.
- effort0
thanks for all the info, folks.
- Douglas0
Day rate is pretty standard practice for freelancing in motion raphics/broadcast design. You're thinking in the original post is accurate, but you should also have a good idea what others in your field are charging with comparable skills.