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Retainer pricing calculator

Turn your hourly rate into a monthly retainer fee, and check what each hour earns when the client uses less than the retainer covers.

Hours per month

Your normal hourly rate (USD)

Discount for the commitment (%)

0 to 15% is common for a guaranteed monthly fee.

Months in the agreement

Hours the client really uses a month

To see what each hour earns when they use less.

Monthly retainer fee

$1,800

At your hourly rate: $2,000
Discount per month: $200
Retainer hourly rate: $90.00
What each used hour earns: $112.50
Discount over the agreement: $1,200
Agreement value (6 months): $10,800

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Hours, rate and the discount

Most retainers start from an estimate of hours per month at your normal rate. The discount is what you give in exchange for the commitment: a minimum term, payment at the start of the month and steady work. Keep it small. A retainer that pays 15% less than your rate for a client who also wants to cancel any time is a worse deal than ordinary invoicing.

The effective rate

Clients rarely use exactly the hours they pay for. The calculator shows what each hour really earned when they use fewer. Above your normal rate is fine, and it's the reason unused hours should expire rather than pile up. Below it means the retainer is too small for the work.

Write it down

Hours included, and what happens to unused ones.
Rate for hours above the retainer.
Minimum term and notice to cancel.
When the invoice goes out and when it's due.

A proposal the client accepts online is a simple way to get those terms agreed before the first invoice.

IN SHORT

Monthly retainer = hours per month x hourly rate x (1 − discount). 20 hours at $100 with a 10% discount is $1,800 a month, or $10,800 over six months. If the client only uses 16 hours, each hour earned $112.50, more than your normal rate. That's the trade: they get a lower price and guaranteed time, you get predictable income paid up front.

Prices and limits as of October 26, 2026.

Questions

How do you price a retainer?

Estimate the hours a month the client needs, multiply by your hourly rate and take off a small discount for the commitment, often 0% to 15%. Bill at the start of the month so the retainer is paid before you work.

What happens to unused retainer hours?

Decide in the contract. The most common terms are that unused hours expire at the end of the month, or roll over for one month only. Rolling over forever turns the retainer into a prepaid bank of hours you'll owe later.

Should I discount a retainer at all?

Only if the commitment is worth it to you: a 6 or 12 month term, payment up front, or work that fills your quieter weeks. A retainer with no minimum term is a monthly invoice, not a reason for a discount.

What if the client goes over the hours?

Bill the extra at your normal hourly rate, not the retainer rate, and say so in the agreement. Track hours per client so you can show the numbers.

Related calculators

Bill the retainer on the first of the month

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