How much should I ask for payment?
 

I'm helping a guy touch up his site (adding a few links, changing some of the layout a little) but nothing major. Mostly things that take one or two lines of HTML changing.


I don't really know how much I should ask him for compensation?

Any of you do any small web page work for money?

Depending on how complex the changes were (any tables, graphics, etc?) and how much you like the guy, $30-60 an hour is reasonable.

$30-60 per hour?!
I can see that for a contracted professional.

But for something informal like this, people usually expect something like $20/hour in Canadian funds (at least where I live). That being said, I do live in a *very* tech savvy neighbourhood (have ea and ibm right down the street). That could influence the local prices a bit.

Still though, in my opinoin, $30-60 per hour is excessive.

a programmer friend of mine, who does mostly backend, database stuff charges $65/hr (if the SF Bay Area). he's a total pro.

i, on the other hand, charge in the area of $20-30/hr. but i'm self-taught and have no real certification or training... but i do great work.

basically, if you aren't doing this stuff regularly, switch the viewpoint (ie. imagine you needed the work done and someone else did the work for you...) and ask yourself what YOU would think is a fair and reasonable price for compensation...

keep in mind, even if it's a low number, that may aid in getting you referrals or return business.

gaw im so lame, i'd do it for penuts, im never going to make money on life, im to nice.

seriously i'd do it for a thank you and dinner.

Dilbert, I'm with you. I recently bumped myself up to the $20 range from $15 as I have begun working on some pretty complex database oriented designs.

Realizm, for very simple HTML and server work, I usually charge a flat fee of $50 for 1-2hrs work. I'd go with that plan if you're talking about only editting 2 lines of HTML and making some graphical changes.

I've seen the results of most people who work for $15-20/hour. It's generally a total hack job, shoddily put together and completely mangled by Frontpage or some other piece of crap HTML editor (anyone who's ever manually edited the "code" these things produce knows what I'm talking about!).

The client usually either gives up the page altogether, or pays someone who knows what they're doing a whole lot more to redo it from scratch or clean up the existing mess.

So if you know HTML (and I mean actually know it, not just how to click toolbar buttons in an editor) and can edit graphics, you're cheating yourself by not getting the money you deserve, and grouping yourself with all the web designer wannabes who do lousy jobs.

Well, I charge about 20 bucks an hour. I do database work and could charge more, but this is what I get paid at my job with a BA in anything but CS so this is what I charge for private work. I'll charge more when I finish up a masters in CS, but for now--I feel this is about what I'm worth...

How about not charging anything since it's easy work. Tell him, "I'll do this for free, just call me when you need something major".

I think that's a pretty good way to build raport.