Home / FAQs / Costs & Process / Pricing models
We work in a mix of ways depending on the job. Larger defined projects are usually quoted against an agreed scope, while ad hoc work can be charged hourly and ongoing support or SEO may use recurring arrangements.
When the requirements, deliverables and assumptions can be defined clearly enough to estimate the work with confidence.
Investigation, troubleshooting and small evolving tasks can be difficult to scope precisely in advance, so hourly charging can be more practical.
If requirements change materially after a fixed scope is agreed, we discuss the cost and timing impact before treating that work as part of the project.
Different work carries different levels of uncertainty. A well-defined website build can often be scoped and quoted against clear deliverables, while diagnosing a broken site or investigating an integration issue may depend on what we uncover. Using the right commercial model makes the estimate more realistic and avoids building unnecessary contingency into every task.
Ongoing support, maintenance and SEO are continuing activities rather than one-off builds, so they are usually better handled through an agreed recurring arrangement with a defined service scope. That gives both sides clarity about what is covered and how additional work is treated.
If a request sits outside an agreed fixed scope, we should make that clear before carrying it out and explain any likely effect on price or timing. That is especially important on larger projects where small additions can accumulate into significant extra development or testing.
Related Caged Fish resources: what affects website cost, what we need before quoting and our Care Package.
