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Fixed fee or hourly billing for a small website project?

Choose the pricing method that matches how well the work can be defined, not just the method that sounds easier to sell.

Fixed fees need a bounded result

A brochure site with named pages, supplied content and an agreed design direction is easier to quote than an open-ended redesign with several undecided stakeholders. A fixed fee offers budget clarity, but the designer carries estimation risk unless the scope and change process are clear.

Hourly billing needs visibility

When priorities evolve frequently, hourly billing can fit the work better. Give the client an estimate, a reporting rhythm and a threshold for discussing additional hours. An hourly arrangement does not remove the need for approval or a useful brief.

A mixed approach can help

You might agree a fixed discovery phase, quote the defined build, and handle later additions through separate approved estimates. Explain the boundaries between those stages and avoid leaving the client unsure which pricing rule applies.

Whichever approach you use, compare your actual time with the estimate. Good records help you price the next project using evidence from your own work.