Step 1 — Your effective hourly rate
Divide the money you will actually receive by the hours you will actually spend (including revisions you already promised).
$2,400 ÷ 40h = $60/hr effective. If the project is fixed-fee and scope usually expands, your true rate is lower — use honest hours, not the optimistic pitch deck number.
Step 2 — Pick a mid-market band for your level
Bands are heuristics, not gospel. Underprice Burn uses transparent ranges by craft and experience. For mid web/software development the tool’s mid band is roughly $65–$110/hr (midpoint ~$87.50).
| Signal | On target | Undercharging smell |
|---|---|---|
| Effective rate | Inside or above your band | Well below the band midpoint |
| Scope risk | Revisions capped in writing | “Unlimited tweaks” baked into the fee |
| Client reaction | Some pushback is normal | They accept instantly every time |
Step 3 — Turn the gap into dollars
Fair mid project ≈ band midpoint × hours. Burn = fair mid − your quote.
Example: $87.50 × 40 = $3,500 fair mid. Quote was $2,400. Burn ≈ $1,100 left on the table for that one job — before unpaid scope creep.
What to do next (without sounding greedy)
- Raise the next quote toward the fair mid, or phase MVP vs full scope.
- Put revision rounds in writing so the effective rate does not collapse after kickoff.
- Use one clear line — Underprice Burn generates a negotiation sentence from your numbers.
Run the free calculator
See your burn number and copy a one-line raise. Soft upsell to the $19 Pricing & Proposal Kit if you want the full planner.
Open Underprice Burn Pricing Kit — $19