Charging Clients as a web designer

All costs, including eventual costs, should be laid out in the original invoice and contract. This also applies to how and when these payments will be made. It sounds a bit unprofessional of the web designer to be asking for certain percentages of the total cost on a whim. I've always set milestones for projects, including detailed information on the required tasks to complete each milestone. With that, I make sure that the client understands and agrees to the payments I've set for these milestones before charging or beginning any work.

It doesn't mean this person may be attempting to scam you, you never really know that for sure, but in my opinion it sounds like these transactions are being handled poorly. I'd explain to the designer that it wasn't a part of our original agreement, and that I'm uncomfortable with changing payment terms without any warning. I'd make the attempt to keep the initial agreement in place. If your friend and the designer can't agree to that, they can always make a new contract that they both agree to.

Great thanks so much for everyones opinions and answers all are valid points I will pass some info onto my friend.

Thanks for your time guys I really appreciate it.

Hi Ken,

I've been freelancing and I have work my share of studios in LA. The 30% initial is always a good price to start off from depending on the total cost of what the project and what functionalities are involve. Usually if I feel I'm not charging a lot I like to ask for 50% upfront. There are some case where the clients want custom wordpress sites with css3 animations, some canvas or webGL feature to their site. The prices then go up, this is where I try to compromise with the client on a 30% upfront. Then maybe a 30% at the midway once we are pass the flowchart, wireframes, and full-comps of the final product. This includes mobile and desktop mockups of the final product. You want to set milestones and setup a well though out timeline. All costs, including eventual costs, should be laid out on the original contract.

The only reason I would think someone would be charging an extra 25% at the start would be because the client is taking a long time with the deadlines and or approvals thus pushing the web designer to push other projects aside. I would then inform the client that because the approvals on certain things haven't been approve I would have to charge them the 25% or 30% percent. This usually wakes the client up to get approvals approve on time.

On the other hand the web designer might be in need of some funds. I had a client prolong a project for over five months, so I did charge him 30% in the middle of the five months. The project was suppose to take about a month maybe a month and a half. But I had some happy and successful clients with a website they could be proud of.

I've heard of the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 model used by designers, and if I were freelance, I'd probably mirror something similar. Typically it's 1/3 of the total up front, 1/3 of the total after the details of the design (i.e. scope) have been confirmed and approved on, and the final 1/3 at the time the final project is delivered.

You said 1 layout, which sounds a bit premature. I think the next payment should come about the time the design is finalized.

I look at it like this. The first 1/3 at the start should cover the designer's time to get through all of the interactions, revisions, and approval process. The second 1/3 should cover the designers time to take the project from concept to product, and the final 1/3 should be the designers profit for being a freelancer.

This way the designer stays ahead of the client as far as time == money goes, but not too far ahead of the client.