TOOLS / FOR SELLERS

Price a retainer without guessing

Recurring work should reward the client for committing and reward you for the predictable income. Here's the math that keeps both fair.

The block of time you set aside for this client each month.
$
Your standard project rate before any loyalty discount.
%
What you knock off in exchange for the guaranteed monthly commitment. 5–15% is common.
MONTHLY RETAINER$—
EFFECTIVE HOURLY$—
ANNUAL VALUE$—

How this is calculated

Reserved hours times your rate gives the standard monthly cost; the loyalty discount trims it:hours × rate × (1 − discount%). The effective hourly is the retainer divided by the hours it covers, and the annual value is twelve of those months — the predictable income a retainer buys you.

Price the hours you reserve, not only the hours you expect to use — a retainer sells availability, and unused time inside the block is normal, not a refund. Set clear rollover and overage rules so a busy month doesn't quietly eat your margin. The full definition, including how retainers differ from project work, is in theretainer glossary entry, and if you're still setting your base number, thefreelance rate calculator gets you there.