What do Rev programmers charge per hour for programming?

[Phil Davis]

Bill Marriott wrote:
> Charles,
>
>   
>> What do Rev programmers charge per hour for programming?
>>     
>
> For my personal consulting, I almost never charge hourly for development, 
> whether it is for marketing materials or database work or Revolution code. 
> Instead I issue a quote on a project basis. The reason for this is that 
> development is not a linear, on/off process for me. I do obtain detailed 
> requirements, size up a project in my head, and then estimate how much time 
> it will take for me to accomplish the task. If it takes longer, then that's 
> on me; if it takes shorter, then I can be proud of my efficiency. The rate 
> also depends on what I think the client can afford, how difficult they will 
> be to work with, and the prospects for a long-term arrangement.
Excellent points, Bill. Different things work for different people.

Bill's reasons for never charging by the hour are the exact reasons why 
I do almost always charge by the hour. I issue estimates, not quotes; 
and the larger the project, the broader the estimate (e.g. "somewhere 
between xx and yy hours"). I keep the customer in the loop so they know 
the status of things along the way and are aware of issues that hinder 
or expedite progress. If it becomes clear that my estimate was short, we 
can leave out features to come closer to the estimate, or they can pay 
more and receive the outcomes as originally described. Either way, 
everyone wins - they get good value for their money and I get to stay in 
business.  ;o)

Also, customers tend to change their minds during development as they 
start to see what's possible; and the more you keep them in the loop, 
they more they see. You will often be able to make them aware of ways to 
improve their product beyond what they thought possible. By charging an 
hourly rate, I can change the original spec as needed to include 
additional features without creating lots of project planning turmoil 
for myself. And in these cases the customer is usually elated with the 
outcomes even though it costs them more, partly because (I think) they 
truly participated in the process, so they feel a greater sense of 
ownership in the outcomes, and they know they couldn't have gotten there 
alone.

Of course, I'm looking through rose-colored glasses as I describe all 
this. Bill mentioned that clients can sometimes be difficult to work 
with. You must reserve the right to "fire" a client if you need to. It's 
a fact: ethical, reasonable clients make all the difference.
-- 
Phil Davis

PDS Labs
Professional Software Development
http://pdslabs.net