Engagement Models
Pay for the work you're actually doing
Every project runs on one of four structures: fixed price, hourly, dedicated team or retainer. We recommend one honestly based on your scope and timeline, including the cheaper option when that's genuinely the better fit.
- Four Structures, One Team
- Terms Documented Before Day One
- US · UK · Canada · India
- Switch Models as the Work Changes
The cost of the wrong billing model
Is your billing structure working against you?
Most billing friction is not about price. It is a structure picked before anyone understood the actual shape of the work. Here is what that costs in practice.
- 01
Scope locked in before anyone understood it
A fixed price agreed on day one stops fitting the moment requirements shift, and every change after that turns into a negotiation instead of a build.
- 02
Hourly billing with no ceiling in sight
Paying by the hour without a rough cap leaves finance guessing at spend until an invoice nobody saw coming finally lands.
- 03
A dedicated team hired for six weeks of work
Committing to monthly headcount for a project that wraps in a month and a half means paying for capacity nobody used.
- 04
A retainer for work that was never ongoing
A flat monthly fee for occasional support burns budget in quiet months and falls short the moment real work shows up.
- 05
A model chosen before the work was scoped
Most billing friction has nothing to do with price. It starts with a structure picked before anyone understood the actual shape of the work.
- 06
No one willing to recommend the cheaper option
A vendor incentivized toward the bigger contract rarely volunteers that a smaller engagement would have done the job just as well.
The Four Models
Pick the Shape That Fits the Work
Every engagement runs on one of these. We will recommend one honestly on a short call.
Fixed price
You already know what you're building and roughly how long it should take. We scope it, price it and hit the milestones we agree on.
Hourly
Requirements are still taking shape, or the work changes direction often enough that locking scope upfront would only slow things down.
Dedicated team
You're building and maintaining a product over months or years, and want a consistent team that knows the codebase instead of rotating hires.
Retainer
The work is ongoing but not full time, like maintenance, support or steady small improvements that don't justify a dedicated hire.
Why Teams Choose Us
Recommendations Built Around Your Project, Not Ours
Anyone can offer four billing options. Recommending the right one honestly, even the cheaper one, is the part most vendors skip.
Get a Recommendation-
We recommend, we don't just sell
If the smaller engagement genuinely fits better, that's what we scope, even when it's the cheaper option for you and for us.
-
The model moves when the work does
A fixed price project that turns into ongoing work can shift to a retainer or dedicated team without restarting the relationship from zero.
-
Terms are written down before anything starts
Whatever model you land on, billing, flexibility and commitment get documented before work begins, not clarified after the first invoice.
-
Scoped in days, not weeks
Most engagements are scoped and quoted within days of a single call, regardless of which of the four models ends up fitting.
-
Same team, whichever model you pick
Fixed price, hourly, dedicated or retainer all draw from the same delivery team, so quality never shifts with the billing structure.
-
No markup stacked on markup
Pricing reflects the work and the model chosen, not layered agency markups added on top of what delivery actually costs.
How It Works
From Describing the Work to a Model That Fits
A short conversation is usually enough to land on the right structure before any work begins.
- 01
Tell us what you're building
Walk us through the work, how defined the scope already is, and roughly how long you expect it to run.
- 02
We recommend a model
Based on how clear the scope is and the expected timeline, we suggest fixed price, hourly, dedicated team or retainer, including the cheaper option if it fits.
- 03
Terms go in writing
Billing, flexibility and commitment are documented clearly before any work begins, so nothing gets clarified after the fact.
- 04
Work starts under that model
The engagement kicks off on the agreed terms, with the same delivery team no matter which model was chosen.
- 05
The model adjusts if the work does
If the shape of the work changes, say a project turning into ongoing maintenance, the model moves with it instead of forcing a restart.
- 06
We check in, not just invoice
Regular check-ins confirm the current model still makes sense, instead of leaving you on a structure that stopped fitting months ago.
At a Glance
Compare the Four Models Side by Side
No model wins on every point. The right one depends on how defined and how long-running your work is.
Client Words
Trusted by teams who needed the right model, not the biggest one
We assumed we needed a dedicated team. They suggested hourly instead since our scope was still shifting, and it kept us from overcommitting early.
A fixed price project turned into ongoing work right after launch. Moving to a retainer took one conversation, not a renegotiation from scratch.
Billing, flexibility and commitment were all written down before we signed anything. Nothing about the invoices surprised us later.
Questions, Answered
Engagement model FAQs
How do I know which model fits my project?
Describe the work and how defined the scope is on a short call, and we'll recommend a model, including the cheaper option when that fits better.
Can I switch models partway through a project?
Yes. If a fixed price project turns into ongoing work, for example, moving to a retainer or dedicated team doesn't mean starting over.
What happens if scope changes on a fixed price project?
Anything beyond the agreed scope is quoted separately as a change order, keeping the original milestones and pricing intact.
Is there a minimum commitment for a dedicated team?
Dedicated team engagements run monthly and renew as needed, with no long-term contract locking you into headcount you no longer use.
How is hourly work tracked and billed?
Hours are tracked against the work performed and billed monthly, with visibility into what was worked on before the invoice arrives.
Do unused retainer hours roll over?
Yes. Unused hours roll into the next month's priorities instead of expiring at the end of the billing period.
Which model works best for a short, well-defined project?
Fixed price usually fits best here, since scope and cost are agreed upfront and there's no ongoing monthly commitment attached.
Can a small business start with something smaller than a big retainer?
Yes. We recommend the model that matches the actual amount of work, whether that's a single fixed price project or occasional hourly support.
Are the same developers used across all four models?
Yes. Fixed price, hourly, dedicated team and retainer engagements all draw from the same delivery team, so quality stays consistent.
How fast can work start once a model is chosen?
Most engagements are scoped, quoted and started within days of the first call, regardless of which model ends up selected.
Keep Exploring
Other ways to work with us
Hire dedicated developers
Vetted developers who join your team directly, for when a dedicated model is the right fit.
ExploreMaintenance & support plans
A monthly retainer that keeps what you've built monitored, patched and steadily improved.
ExploreWhite label for agencies
Unbranded delivery under NDA, for agencies who want to offer development work they don't staff in house.
ExploreNot sure which model fits?
Describe your situation and we will recommend a model, including the smaller one if that is what you actually need.