# Set rates that pay back in week one: pricing AI implementation work Source: https://getstartedwithai.net/tutorials/pricing-ai-implementation-work Site: Get Started With AI Tagline: Build AI automations that actually run your business. Audience: solo professionals, freelancers, consultants and AI implementers in training Contact: hello@getstartedwithai.co.uk This Markdown companion is generated from the prerendered page for AI crawlers. # Set rates that pay back in week one: pricing AI implementation work Underpricing is the single largest factor in solo consultant unprofitability through year one and year two. The fix is structural rather than confidence-based. This tutorial covers when to charge hourly, when to charge a project price, and when a retainer fits, with the April 2026 numbers from 50 reference engagements observed in the UK. The pricing moves at the end of the build raise margin without losing clients, because the change is in how the price is presented rather than how high it goes. ## The three primary models - Hourly: £80 to £200 per hour. Works for advisory, ad hoc work, and discovery. - Project: £1,500 to £40,000 fixed price for a defined scope. Best fit for productised builds. - Retainer: £2,000 to £15,000 a month for ongoing maintenance and new builds. Suits embedded relationships. ## Step 1: Pick the model that matches the work Most practitioners use all three across a single client. Hourly for the first call, project for the first build, retainer for the long engagement. 1. Hourly: discovery calls, scoping work, audits where the time is unpredictable. 2. Project: any packaged build with a defined scope and a clear deliverable. 3. Retainer: ongoing operations, regular new builds, monitoring and training. ## Step 2: Anchor against the working April 2026 rates The numbers below are observed across 50 reference engagements in the UK. They are not aspirational; they are the working market. 1. UK hourly: £80 (junior solo) to £200 (senior with case studies). 2. UK day rate: £500 to £1,200 in London, £400 to £900 regional. 3. Project: AI audit £1,500 to £4,000. First build £3,500 to £9,000. Implementation sprint £12,000 to £35,000. 4. Retainer: light advisory £2,000 to £5,000. Standard support £5,000 to £15,000. Full partnership £15,000 to £50,000 a month. ## Step 3: Apply the five moves that raise margin Margin moves up faster from presentation changes than from headline rate increases. Five moves cover most of the lift. 1. Stop billing hourly on builds. Quote a project price, deliver under the time budget, keep the margin. 2. Anchor on outcomes, not hours. "60 percent reduction in onboarding time" beats "20 hours of work". 3. Bill 50 percent on signing and 50 percent on delivery. Cash flow improves and deadbeats filter out. 4. Add a 30-day check-in to every project as standard. Retainer conversion rate doubles. 5. Raise rates after every 5 paid clients in year one, then once per quarter. ## Step 4: Write a price that holds up to negotiation The way the price is written matters as much as the number. Three habits keep the conversation about scope rather than discount. 1. Show one or two ranges, not a single number. "£3,500 to £6,500 depending on scope" is less defensive than "£5,000". 2. Show what is in scope and what is not. Out-of-scope items get a separate change-order rate. 3. Avoid quoting hours unless asked. Quote outcomes and a delivery date. 4. Always include the next-step price (the retainer or follow-on project) in the proposal. ## Step 5: Hold the price under pressure Most lost margin comes from the fortnight after the proposal lands. Two rules cover the typical pushback. 1. Never quote on a discovery call. Send the price in writing within 48 hours. 2. When asked to discount, offer a smaller scope at the lower price rather than the same scope at less money. 3. When the client asks "what if I provide more inputs?" answer with a faster delivery date, not a lower fee. 4. Walk from any deal where the price drops more than 20 percent in negotiation. The client is not a fit. ## Common pricing mistakes - Underpricing the first project to win the deal. The price you set on day one is the floor for every future engagement. - Charging for time, not value. Hours pricing trains clients to micromanage. - Skipping the check-in. Without it, conversion to retainer drops. - Quoting on a discovery call. Always send the price in writing within 48 hours, never in the room. ## What you ship A written rate card across the three models, a proposal template that anchors on outcomes, a 50/50 billing rule, and a 30-day check-in baked into every project. Most practitioners who run the moves cleanly add £4k to £8k of monthly revenue inside a quarter. ## What to build next Pair this pricing rule with the readiness assessment template and the consultant 12-week path. The assessment justifies the build price; the path covers the work that fills the calendar. ## Related builds More tutorials in Become an Implementer. Each one runs in 60 to 90 minutes and ships a finished asset. ### Land your first paid AI engagement in 90 days: the 2026 consultant playbook 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/how-to-become-an-ai-consultant-2026) ### Ship five repeatable client engagements: the AI automation agency playbook 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/ai-automation-agency-practitioner-playbook) ### Win client work with a free first call: the AI readiness assessment template 30 to 60 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/ai-readiness-assessment-free-template) ### Get to first paid client faster by niching: pick a vertical that pays 60 to 90 minutes. Implementer. [Open tutorial](/tutorials/niching-down-as-an-ai-consultant) ## Questions people ask before they start ### Should I publish prices on my site? Ranges, yes. Single numbers, no. Ranges filter the wrong-fit prospects without forcing every visitor through a discovery call. ### When should I raise rates? After every 5 paid clients in the first year, then once per quarter. Most practitioners raise too late, not too early. ### How do I justify £150 an hour to a client paying £80? Anchor on outcomes ("we ship in 2 weeks, not 2 months") and case studies. Hour-vs-hour comparisons miss the value math. ### Should I price purely on value delivered? Pure value pricing is hard for solo practitioners because the attribution is messy. Hybrid (project price plus a small success fee) works better; clients accept the structure and you do not depend on the bonus. ### What about retainers below £2,000 a month? Refuse them. Below £2k you cannot afford the response time the client expects. A small monthly fee plus pay-as-you-go change orders is a cleaner shape for tiny clients.