Pricing When You Don’t Know What to Charge

Pricing When You Don’t Know What to Charge

Not knowing what to charge is usually not a market research problem. It is a scope uncertainty problem.

If you cannot describe the deliverable precisely, any price feels arbitrary. If you can describe it precisely, pricing becomes mechanical: estimate effort, add risk buffer, compare to market, then present a bounded offer with rules.

This article gives a practical workflow for pricing when you are unsure, without defaulting to underpricing.

1) Start by choosing the pricing model that matches uncertainty

If the work is unclear, fixed pricing is a trap. Use the model as a safety mechanism.

Choose a package when:

• Deliverables are specific and repeatable.

• “Done” can be verified with acceptance criteria.

Choose hourly when:

• Requirements are unclear, or the buyer is still deciding.

• The work is troubleshooting, research, or iteration-heavy.

Choose a short discovery package when:

• The buyer wants a fixed price, but you cannot responsibly estimate execution yet.

• You need access, audits, or stakeholder input to define scope.

Discovery is the clean bridge between uncertainty and fixed pricing. It turns “I’m not sure” into a paid artifact: roadmap, audit, prototype, spec, or plan.

2) Define “done” in a way that prevents revision spirals

Most pricing anxiety comes from fear of endless revisions.

Write five lines before you price:

• Deliverables: what you will deliver, in what format, how many.

• Acceptance criteria: how the buyer will verify completion.

• Timeline: phases and checkpoints, including feedback windows.

• Revisions: number of rounds and what counts as revision versus new scope.

• Exclusions: what is not included.

If you cannot write these, do not quote a fixed price. Sell discovery or go hourly.

3) Build a floor rate so you never price below sustainability

Even if you package work, you need a personal floor.

Floor rate formula:

(monthly income target + monthly costs) ÷ billable hours

Then add a buffer of 20 to 40 percent for admin, sales time, platform fees, and downtime.

This floor is not your market price. It is the minimum that prevents you from getting trapped in low-margin work.

4) Price with ranges privately, then quote one number confidently

Use a three-point estimate:

• Low: everything goes smoothly

• Likely: normal friction

• High: buyer delays, rework, hidden complexity

Convert to a single estimate using a simple weighted approach:
(1 × Low + 2 × Likely + 1 × High) ÷ 4

Then add a risk buffer if any of these are true:

• buyer is vague

• dependencies are outside your control

• the project touches production systems

• multiple stakeholders are involved

Do not quote the range. Quote one number with a tight scope and a change policy.

5) Use a tiered offer to stop yourself from guessing

When you feel uncertain, it is often because you are mixing different interpretations of the job into one price.

Split into three tiers:

• Basic: minimum viable deliverable, tight boundaries

• Standard: the sensible complete version

• Premium: adds risk reduction, QA, documentation, support window, or faster iteration

Tiers reduce the risk of being wrong because the buyer chooses scope. You stop betting on what they meant.

6) Add a change mechanism so your price does not need to be perfect

Your price does not need to predict every future request. It needs to change.

Include one of these:

• Add-ons with fixed prices

• New milestones for added scope

• Hourly overflow for anything beyond included revisions

A clear change rule is what allows you to quote confidently even when you are unsure. It prevents the “I guessed wrong so now I eat the cost” scenario.

On marketplaces, milestone structures make this easy because new scope can be attached to a new milestone instead of arguing in chat. Platforms likeOsdire emphasize clear offer structure and staged delivery, but the operating principle is universal.

7) Calibrate to the market without copying it

To sanity check your price:

• Collect 8 to 12 comparable listings or quotes.

• Ignore the bottom 20 percent and top 20 percent.

• Use the middle band as your market range.

Then position yourself intentionally:

• If you are below the middle, you need tighter scope and fewer promises.

• If you are above the middle, you need stronger risk controls and clearer deliverables.

Never compete on price without competing on structure. Buyers pay more for predictability.

8) A simple script that avoids sounding uncertain

When you need to price without overexplaining, use this structure:

• “This price covers these deliverables.”

• “Delivery happens in these phases.”

• “Two revision rounds are included, limited to the defined scope.”

• “Anything outside scope is handled as an add-on or new milestone.”

No long justification. No defensiveness. Just rules.

9) A beginner-safe default when you are truly unsure

If you cannot define scope and the buyer wants a number, use this default:

1. Sell a short discovery package.

2. Deliver a clear plan with deliverables, timeline, and acceptance criteria.

3. Quote fixed price for execution based on that plan.

This sequence converts ambiguity into certainty and protects both sides. It also signals professionalism, which attracts better clients.

The fastest way to stop guessing prices is to stop selling vague work. Price becomes obvious when the deliverable is precise and the change policy is explicit.