By the proof. team ·
A fixed price protects you only when the rest is fixed too: what you get, when you get it, and what happens if the date slips. Get those three in writing and most surprises disappear.
Why do website projects go over?
Rarely because someone is dishonest. They go over because "a website" means different things to each side. You pictured ten pages and a booking system. The studio pictured five pages and a contact form. With hourly billing, that gap becomes your bill. With a fixed price and a vague scope, it becomes an argument.
When is hourly the right choice?
When nobody can define the work yet: a new product, a complex integration, research. If the work can be listed, it can be priced.
What should you get in writing?
- The list. How many pages or sections, who writes the text, what the form does, what's not included.
- The price. One number, and what would change it.
- The date. A launch date that counts from a clear starting point, such as the kickoff call.
- What pauses the clock. A fair agreement stops the clock while the studio waits for your approvals, photos or logins. Know this before you start, and answer fast.
- What happens if the studio is late. A date with no consequence is a hope.
- Revisions. How many rounds of changes you get, and when.
- Payments and ownership. When each payment is due, and that the files, code and accounts are yours.
How should payments be split?
A structure that's fair to both sides: half to start, and half when you approve the preview, before the site goes live. You never pay in full for something you haven't seen, and the studio isn't left chasing a final payment after everything is already in your hands.
What about after launch?
Ask what support costs and what it covers before you sign, not after. A defect in what was delivered should be fixed at no cost for a period after launch. Ongoing changes are a separate, optional plan.
How we do it
Every proof. package lists what you get, has one price, and puts the launch date in your agreement. If we go live later than that date, even by an hour, your first six months of Care are free. See the packages and prices.