Guide to fixed-price Projects
Software built to spec, at a predictable cost.
How do fixed-price Projects work?
The first step to any project is requirements discovery. During our initial consult, I will work with you to collaboratively define the appropriate scope of work. Once I know what you need done, I will put together a proposal document that includes:
- The scope of work, including all necessary business cases and requirements written with a high degree of clarity and technical specificity.
- A timeline with an official start date and an estimated completion date.
- A summary of potential risks that I've identified, and how I will mitigate them.
- The total fee I will charge for the project, including the deposit if required.
- A summary of important terms and conditions that the actual contract will contain.
If you accept my proposal, we will move on to sign the official contract, which contains the full terms and conditions. Once work starts, you'll receive a structured report via email on a weekly basis, describing any progress I've made towards completion, any question or blockers that require your attention, and what work I have planned for the project in the coming weeks.
An illustrative example
Let's walk through an example. Client Awesome reaches out to me for a consult. They share a vision for a new web application that they want to build within the next year. I collect some details over a couple video calls and some email exchanges, then do a bit of independent research on some of the concepts and technologies they mentioned. Within a week, I send them my proposal. I've put together a sample proposal that you can download to see what they might receive from me.
If they approve my proposal, we proceed with contract negotiations. This will include the full scope of work in even greater detail, as well as the full contract terms and conditions. Once everything is signed, I start work on the agreed upon date, and regularly report on my progress via email.
When the project is done, Client Awesome receives a project delivery report from me that summarized the work I did and includes some helpful reminders and next steps. Here's a sample delivery report showing what that could look like.
Project FAQs
Click on a question below to view the answer.
What are the advantages of a fixed-price Project?
In software development, stakeholders usually try to control for four major variables:
- The Scope of work delivered
- The Quality of the delivered work
- The Time needed to complete the work
- The Budget required to complete the work
My fixed-price Project contracts offer strong assurances regarding Budget and Scope of work. I also provide partial Quality assurance through my limited warranty. Time is the factor I offer the least control over. I do provide estimates, and strive to deliver on time, but there are just too many variables outside of my control that can delay projects from completion.
How quickly can you put together a proposal?
I aim to deliver proposals in 5-10 business days. This can vary based on my current workload and the scope of the project.
How long does a project usually take?
I try to keep individual project contracts small enough that I can complete them in one or two months' time. For larger projects that may span many months, I advocate for splitting out smaller milestone projects, especially if the scope of later milestones could change based on new information uncovered while working on earlier milestones.
What if a project takes longer than the initial estimate?
If I take longer than estimated to deliver a project, I continue to work until it is completed, at no additional cost to you. In rare instances where a project is dragging on forever, you can cancel the project hassle-free, or we can renegotiate a smaller scope of work.
What if I don't know the scope of work?
That's okay! Projects always start with a free consultation, followed by some back and forth as we refine the scope of work. This usually plays out over 3-5 business days.
If we're stuck in the discovery phase for a long time, I like to propose a "Discovery project", wherein I continue research and discovery for a fee. Discovery projects always include a concrete deliverable in the form of a requirements document, which should prove valuable to your organization even if you decide to hire someone else to execute it.
Can I change the scope of work after the project starts?
Yes! You can request changes to the scope of work at any time. I typically accept minor revisions without issue. If a requested change is substantial, I may need to amend the project fee and/or estimated completion date. In those cases, I will communicate the impact to you and give you the opportunity to retract or confirm the request.
Can I cancel a project in progress?
Yes! I offer a hassle-free, cancel-any-time policy for all project contracts. There is typically a short notice period of a few days. Once cancelled,
- You will not owe me anything.
- You will not receive any undelivered work from me.
- You must destroy any partial work I already delivered.
How do you compute the project fee?
The project fee calculation considers multiple factors, including but not limited to:
- My estimate of the number of working days I will need complete the project.
- Current market rates for full-time and freelancer developers with skillsets equivalent to mine.
- The relevancy of my skills and expertise to your business initiatives and technology domains.
That third item is especially important. If your project aligns well with my core skillset, you will pay a higher fee, and in return, you will get my highest quality work and a more accurate completion date estimate. If your work requires me to upskill or learn new knowledge domains, your rate will be lower to account for my relatively lower efficiency.
Do you offer warranties?
I offer a warranty period of 30 calendar days after the date of final delivery. The limits to this warranty are clearly defined in my contracts.
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