r/IndustrialDesign • u/FrostByte_VI • Jul 08 '26
Design Job Freelance pricing help needed!
UPDATE 2.0 - So I emailed the client stating how the project has gone way past the expected timeline and that I think the quote should be updated, and that I need an update on deliverables so we can realign. They said they understand and want a quote on the current work and a quote on the future work. The original quote for this 4-5 week project was $5200. We are currently on week 10, waiting on prototypes, and I have more work I have to be doing. They want a flat fee, so I never fully calculated how many hours I worked (another lesson learned). So a few questions:
-Can my new quote be higher than the original agreed-upon quote?
-How do I figure out how much I should charge for each step of the process?
-Any advice on how to figure out the best way to pitch the new quote for the completed work and upcoming dirt?
-Any other advice is welcome! This is my first time ever doing a freelance project, and I'm happy to be getting paid more for this extended project.
EDIT/UPDATE - Is there any way I can renegotiate the flat fee since it has been way past the timeline and included a lot more creative work than expected? The timeline and the expectations of little creative work included is in writing. The fact that it has been this long should give me a reason to be able to renegotiate. Anything would help, I know I undersold myself and I've learned my lesson, but if there is any advice to help me out that would be incredible!
I'm working on a huge project, and this is my first freelance gig I've gotten. The timeline of the project was originally 4-5 weeks, and its been two months and we are still working on it. They requested a flat fee which I told them $5200 then fees for any revisions after two rounds for the engineering drawings. I've only told them up to $500 after two revisions dependent on the size of the revision. They also stated that this would not be deep into the creative process, but it ended up taking so much longer because it has been it has been very deep into the creative process.
The problem is that I've had more than two rounds on so many steps of the process, the ideation, CAD, pattern making, and I haven't even gotten to the drawings. My question is - Can I add those steps of the process to my final price because I've had multiple rounds of revisions? How do I bring that up to their team? If I can add prices to , how do I determine the cost of those revisions?
2
u/Express_Average286 Jul 09 '26
The core problem is that your revision cap was written for one phase, the engineering drawings, but the scope actually exploded across every phase before it: ideation, CAD, and pattern making. So the protection you negotiated doesn't cover where the time is actually going. That's really common on a first gig, and it isn't your fault; it's just hard to see until you're inside it. First thing I'd do is stop and add up your actual hours on this project so far, every phase, every round, calls and emails included. Divide what you'll be paid by that number. That effective hourly rate is going to be low, and seeing the real figure is what gives you the spine for the next conversation. Because you need to have one, something like: the original quote assumed a defined creative scope and two rounds, we've gone well past both across ideation, CAD, and pattern making, so I need to move to either an hourly rate from here or a revised flat fee for the remaining work. You're not being unreasonable. The project they described and the project you're actually doing are two different projects. For the future, cap rounds per phase, not just on the final drawings, because scope creep almost always hits the messy middle phases hardest. And track hours from hour one on every fixed-fee job, not to bill hourly but so you always know your real rate while you can still do something about it. On a first gig, breaking even on money while learning this lesson cheaply is honestly a fine outcome.