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Author Topic: question about billing a client for time
Strider
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So I work with a business partner and we do website and graphics work. We recently had to do some hourly work for a client. I have a question about how to go about billing the client for hours worked.

Say our hourly rate is T dollars per hour. I did a total of X hours of work. And my partner did a total of Y hours of work(X is greater than Y). Do we bill the client for X+Y hours? Or do we bill for just X hours?

(we're new to this if you can't tell! We don't normally bill by the hour.)

Thanks for any feedback.

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pooka
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X+Y would be my assumption. The hourly rate is for manhours.
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vonk
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I would say that unless there was a predetermined pricing structure that is contrary, you should bill for all hours worked, X + Y. This is assuming that T is the same for both X and Y. Now if X + Y = Giant Number That Will Freak Client Out, you may want to consider adjusting it to keep future business. That would be entirely your prerogative, though.
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brojack17
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I would say X+Y or total hours worked.
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pooka
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An invoice summarizing how many hours worked what day, and if applicable, on what project would be good. Hope you've kept records.
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Strider
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I kept records, but it was relatively small job that only took a day to do.

My initial assumption was to bill X+Y, but then I second guessed whether "hourly rate" implies manhours or can be taken to mean that that when doing work we cease to function as individuals and bill for company time as a single unit.

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imogen
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Bill for X + Y, unless your agreement with your client would preclude you from doing so.

As pooka said, it's for manhours.

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El JT de Spang
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Total hours worked. You can break it out if the client asks (detailing how many hours you worked and how many hours your partner worked), but this is really only necessary if you're doing different tasks.
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Strider
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hmmm...doesn't look like i'm getting much of a consensus here.

You know, I think I'll go with billing for X+Y, regardless of what you guys say. [Smile]

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El JT de Spang
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Looks to me like every single person has recommended that you bill for total hours worked (aka manhours aka X+Y).
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imogen
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(I think Strider was joking.)
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Javert Hugo
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*adjusts JT's gentlesarcasmeter*
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MidnightBlue
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(I took him literally, too.)
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Strider
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(I think imogen was right)


*whoops...wrong username before!

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Strider
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MidnightBlue, where did you take me?

[ October 05, 2007, 01:34 PM: Message edited by: Strider ]

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