Honestly, I see so many freelancers mess up their rate sheets by not including a 'project kill fee'.

Tbh, I learned this the hard way after a client in Phoenix ghosted me halfway through a $2,500 website build last month. I had to eat 15 hours of work because my contract only covered final payment. Now I add a line for a 25% kill fee if a project is canceled after the first milestone. It just covers my time if things fall apart. Has anyone else had to add something like this to their agreements?

3 comments

3 Comments

kelly_craig4d ago

That "scary line item" point is interesting because I've found the opposite. When I put a clear kill fee in bold like @the_oscar mentioned, it actually makes clients take the agreement more seriously. They see it as a real business deal, not just a handshake. I explain it's not a penalty, it's just paying for the time and planning slot they booked. Framing it that way has stopped good clients from getting spooked and has weeded out the flaky ones before we even start.

the_oscar5d ago

My first contract was basically a napkin sketch that said "I'll make website, you pay money." Lost a $1,800 branding project for a coffee shop in Austin when the owner just stopped replying after the mood board phase. I had to chase them for two months just to get a "we changed our mind" text. Now my kill fee is 30% and it's in bold, right next to the payment schedule. What percentage are you finding works best without scaring off new clients?

sean7825d ago

Ever wonder why more freelancers don't just build the kill fee into their deposit? I started making my first milestone payment non-refundable, which works the same way. It covers my start-up time without needing a separate scary line item.