Fixed price vs hourly rate — which suits a Drupal project
"How much will it cost?" — the answer depends on how the contract is structured. Fixed price and hourly rate are both reasonable, but in different situations.
Fixed price
The client and developer agree: "this functionality, at this price, by this deadline."
When it works
- Scope is clearly defined — a detailed brief, design is ready, requirements are written down
- Risk of change is low — the project is simple and of a familiar type
- Client has a hard budget limit that cannot be exceeded
Hidden costs of fixed price
The developer carries the risk — if the work takes longer, they lose. To cover this risk, a risk premium is added to the quote — typically 20–40%. You pay this whether the project runs over or not.
Additionally: if scope is not precisely defined, disputes arise about what is "included in the price." Every new requirement becomes a change order and an extra invoice.
Fixed price works poorly when
- Requirements change during the project (which happens almost always)
- The project is innovative — nobody knows exactly what is needed
- The client wants to make decisions and experiment along the way
Hourly rate
The developer tracks actual time spent and the client pays for it.
When it works
- Scope is not fully known at the start of the project
- Requirements evolve — agile, iterative development
- Long-term relationship — maintenance, ongoing development
- There is trust — the client trusts the developer not to inflate hours
The hidden risk of hourly rate
The client carries the risk — if the work takes longer, the client pays more. Without good communication the final invoice can be an unpleasant surprise.
The solution: weekly time reports and a clear warning when the budget is approaching its limit.
Hybrid: fixed scope, hourly delivery
In practice the best approach is often:
- Scope and functionality are fixed (what gets built)
- Delivery is hourly (how long it takes)
- Budget is an estimate, not an absolute cap
- Changes can be added but are documented and priced separately
Our approach
For new projects we provide an estimate: we define the scope, give an hours estimate, and agree on hourly rates. If scope changes, we update the estimate.
Maintenance services run on hourly billing by month — we have a rough sense of how many hours per month are needed, but the exact number depends on actual demand.
See pricing or contact us with your project description — we will provide an estimate.
Kaido Toomingas
WebPro Company OÜ
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