Render time fee

[glorybound]

I like to pad the estimate a little bit up front and then offer to throw in small things like this— within reason of course. Clients love to think they’re getting a deal or something extra. I prefer to under promise and over deliver. Has the added benefit of sometimes they don’t ask for more and you get to keep the padding (assuming you are bidding by the project, not by the hour, with would be dishonest to lie about the amount of time).

Of course sometimes the bid is pared down too much to begin with and then you just have to communicate right away about anything that is outside the original scope.

There isn't much of a standard in our industry, and a $300 rendering might be expensive to someone, and they'll be challenging to please anyway. They think that they are paying a lot and you need to make them happy. Others will drop $2000 for the exact rendering and not have one comment on the finals. I try to avoid the ones who question the quote; it is a red flag.

[suzanne_doherty]

I like to pad the estimate a little bit up front and then offer to throw in small things like this— within reason of course. Clients love to think they’re getting a deal or something extra. I prefer to under promise and over deliver. Has the added benefit of sometimes they don’t ask for more and you get to keep the padding (assuming you are bidding by the project, not by the hour, with would be dishonest to lie about the amount of time).

Of course sometimes the bid is pared down too much to begin with and then you just have to communicate right away about anything that is outside the original scope.

You may call it "padding", others will call that profit. Some jobs you'll make little profit, other jobs will be more profitable, but you shouldn't run at a loss, you'll be out of business!

[Joelaff]

By padding I mean extra, beyond what I expect to make as profit on the project. You certainly don’t want the changes to cut into your actual profit, or, as you say, you won’t be in business very long. Then this extra padding hopefully averages out as a little extra profit if you estimate it right.