Anyone do independent software development consulting?

[Soybomb]

What's a fair rural hourly rate for a couple month's project doing some php/mysql? I think I'm underpricing myself out of fear of giving the giving the customer sticker shock and not adding enough in to make up for the difference in them hiring me as a contractor and not an employee.

Also how do you usually bill out for using some of your previously existing code? Freebie? Partial charge? Everyone buys it in full every project?

 

[Titan]

It's good to just pick a flat hourly rate and stick to it. anything below 50 bucks an hour is too cheap if you ask me.

If you just bill by the hour, re-using code takes less time, so just bill the time. I'm not independent, but I do work in a web shop.

 

[Drakkon]

Quote by the hour not by the month - ask enough questions and specifications to get you down to an hourly figure you are comfortable doing the job in - that way if there are any changes you can up the price.

 

[Soybomb]

Oh yeah it'll be by the hour, I figured if they're getting me for a couple months though the hourly price will be expected to go down some.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Around here (fairly rural), the going rate is about $75-85/hour. If you have previously existing code, I'd probably state that upfront and let them choose. Either they can pay a fee for you to use the existing code (which will speed up subsequent work), or they can pay you the extra hours it will take to work without this.