Effective hourly: $100/hr
Deliverables
Freelance Retainer Scope Builder
Package Basic, Growth, and Premium retainers with deliverables, effective hourly checks, and a view of how full your month is.
100% client-side. Retainer data stays in your browser (ons-retainer-builder-inputs).
Changing region updates defaults and currency for your location.
Your capacity
Available hours / mo
129.9
Retainer hours booked
0
Monthly retainer revenue
$0
Capacity used
0%
You need $10,000 more in retainers to hit your monthly target.
Retainer tiers
Effective hourly: $100/hr
Deliverables
Effective hourly: $100/hr
Deliverables
Capacity by tier
Set client counts per tier to see hours booked.
How this tool works
You set your weekly available hours and an hourly target rate that represents your minimum acceptable floor — the tool warns when a tier's effective rate falls below it. For each retainer tier, you define a monthly price, the number of included hours, and optional deliverable descriptions. Effective hourly rate = tier price ÷ included hours. Monthly revenue = sum of (clients per tier × tier price). Monthly capacity used = sum of (clients per tier × tier hours) ÷ (weekly available hours × 4.33 weeks). The 4.33 multiplier converts weekly hours to a monthly average. A utilization bar shows capacity as a percentage and flags overbook risk when it exceeds 100%. Key assumption: retainer hours are fixed commitments; variable-hour months are not modeled. Edge case: retainers with unlimited or rollover hours change the effective rate calculation significantly — if hours roll over from one month to the next, a client who under-uses one month and over-uses the next produces a real effective rate well below what the nominal rate implies, and the tool's per-tier rate warning will not catch this without manual adjustment.
Worked example
At $85/hour target, a Growth tier at $3,500 for 35 hours yields about $100/hour effective. Two Growth clients book 70 hours per month against roughly 130 available hours at 30 hours per week, leaving room for one more small retainer before you are full.
Frequently asked questions
What is a retainer?
A retainer is a fixed monthly fee a client pays for a defined scope or reserved hour bucket. Unlike per-project billing, retainers create predictable recurring income and de-risk slow months. Common retainer structures include a set deliverable list (e.g., four blog posts per month), a banked-hours block (e.g., 20 hours available on demand), or an ongoing advisory arrangement billed at a flat monthly rate.
How do I price a retainer?
Start with your hourly rate multiplied by expected monthly hours. A 15-hour block at $85/hour sets your floor at $1,275. From there, add a priority-access premium (typically 10-20%) because retainer clients expect faster turnaround than one-off projects. Also factor in scope risk: if the deliverable list is open-ended, build in a buffer. Retainers priced too close to your hourly floor leave no room for overruns.
How many retainer clients can I handle?
Divide your total available monthly hours by each retainer's committed hours, then leave at least 15-20% unallocated for admin, business development, and overruns. At 30 billable hours per week you have roughly 120-130 client-facing hours per month. Three 20-hour retainers fills that capacity almost exactly. Taking on a fourth without raising your rates or cutting scope is a common path to burnout.
What happens to unused hours at the end of the month?
That depends on the contract you set. Three common policies exist: use-it-or-lose-it (hours expire, which is simplest but can frustrate clients), rollover with a cap (unused hours carry forward up to a single month's worth), and rollover unlimited (rarely advisable since it creates hidden liability). Most experienced freelancers use use-it-or-lose-it with a clause allowing one 25% rollover per quarter to maintain goodwill without open-ended obligations.
How do I protect against scope creep on a retainer?
Define scope in the contract with specific deliverable types, hour caps per request, and a clear out-of-scope clause. Any work outside the defined list gets quoted separately before you begin. A written change-order process, even a simple email confirmation, creates a paper trail that protects both sides. Review scope against actual hours logged monthly and flag to the client before you hit 90% of the allocated hours.
What cancellation notice period should I require?
Thirty days is the industry minimum; 60 days is better for retainers above $2,000/month. The notice period protects your cash flow runway while you replace the income. Some freelancers also include a kill fee: if a client cancels with less than the required notice, they owe 50% of the remaining month. Always specify whether notice must be written and whether the notice period starts on receipt or on the first of the next month.