"The Pay is $25/hour and it Shouldn't Take More Than a Couple Hours."

We often see requests from folks looking for assistance with something on their Web site. Usually they've been working with another developer and now need someone to pick up the pieces.

The title of this blog post is an all-too-common phrase that we see in these requests. The requestor is indicating how much they are willing to pay per hour and how long it should take. While we would take issue with the hourly rate, that's a topic for a separate blog posting!

Imagine going to your plumber and telling them that you expect them to be able to unclog your drain in an hour. The plumber is the expert. Yet, the customer is telling the plumber how long it should take to resolve an issue.

After being in business for 6 years, now I understand why plumbers (and other service providers) give a range of time for arriving at your house. They just can't pinpoint exactly how long it will take to resolve problems at each house.

Does this mean that they don't know what they're doing? No

Does it mean that they are just trying to get more money? No

Does it mean that they don't want to do the work? No

The same is true for Web developers. We go running for the hills when someone tells us how long a task should take. We estimate the time to complete work based on an educated guess after evaluating the work. 

While applying a design or some custom programming to a Web site might look straight-forward on the surface, changing one element could affect another. Halfway through the work, you realize that you underestimated your time. Then, there's the dilemma of whether to charge the client for the additional time. Believe it or not, many Web developers work unbilled hours to meet deadlines exactly because of situations like this.

So, to all of those potential clients looking for assistance on their sites, we have one bit of advice. Be upfront about your budget, but let the experts decide how long it should take to complete.

Leila Johnson
Co-Owner & Manager of Projects & Operations