What is a day rate, and when should you use one?
A day rate is a price for a full working day, for work billed by time rather than by result. Use it when the work is already under way and the scope keeps moving. To set one, multiply your hourly floor by the hours a day really holds for client work. Six hours at $134 rounds to $850.
When it fits
- The client keeps adding to a project that’s already started.
- The work is a workshop, a site visit or a day embedded with a team.
- Neither of you can say in advance how long it will take.
Why six hours, not eight
A day of client work has travel, email and a lunch in it. Price eight hours and you’ll have sold the day for less than your hourly floor.
The design and creative setup on WorkWith starts with a day rate of $1,200, described as “for work already under way”, beside a project price.
Next
The other way to price work with an unknown size.
How do you price a project you’ve never done? →Checked 2026-10-11.