Fixed fee, day rate, retainer or value: the client picks
Offer engagement models side by side as options in the price table, or send each model from its own template, with phases and payments to match.
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QuoteCloud price tables can offer a fixed fee, a day-rate estimate and a value-based base fee as a single choice the client picks, with optional add-ons and the total updating. Retainer fees are repeating charges shown in the agreement. Only the first payment is taken on signing, through Stripe or PayPal, from the Essentials plan; you invoice the rest.
Four engagement models for the same sample statement of work, set on a balance from price certainty for the client to flexibility of scope: fixed fee, value-based, retainer and day rate. The beam tips towards each in turn and a panel shows how it sits in the price table, the total, the payment on signing and what the firm invoices later: fixed fee $119,350.00 with 30% ($35,805.00) on signing; value-based base fee $92,400.00 with 25% ($23,100.00) on signing; retainer $18,150.00 a month with the first month on signing; day-rate estimate $42,845.00 with 20% ($8,569.00) on signing.
Switch the model and watch the SOW change
The same 12-week network review, opened here as a value-based engagement. Pick another model: the phases, the price table, the payment on signing and the later payment stages change with it.
Engagement model: Value-based
Best when The outcome and scope are clear. One price for the three phases, so the client knows the cost up front.
Best when The problem isn't defined yet. Start with a short diagnostic on an estimate of days, then scope the rest.
Best when The client wants a partner on call through the change, not a one-off report. A monthly fee for a set amount of support.
Best when Both sides can agree how value is measured. A lower base fee, plus a performance fee agreed in the SOW.
2 · What changes in the SOW
- Scope & deliverables
- Phases on the Gantt
- The price table
- Payment on signing
How this model is set up in QuoteCloud
One price-table line per phase and the options as optional rows the client can tick. Payment on signing set to 30% of the total.
One line per person, the estimated days as the quantity and the day rate from your price book. Payment on signing set to 20%; the days worked are invoiced by you.
A repeating price item for the monthly fee, with the 6-month term in the agreement. The first month is paid on signing; QuoteCloud never bills the later months.
The base fee by phase in the price table and the performance fee as wording in the SOW, invoiced by you if it is earned. Payment on signing set to 25%.
One template per model, or a revised version of the SOW. To let the client choose between models in one document, offer them as a single-choice group in the price table.
What your team sees
- SOW sent to 2 signersCarla Mendes and Tom Haddow
- Opened by the sponsorCarla Mendes
- Signed by both2 of 2 signed
- First payment paid$23,100.00 via Stripe
Statement of work · Fixed fee
Network & margin review
- Diagnostic report and cost-to-serve model
- Network options paper with three business cases
- Implementation roadmap and mobilisation plan
Phases 12 weeks
Fees
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee by phase | ||
Phase 1 · DiagnoseWeeks 1–3 · interviews, site visits, cost-to-serve model
|
1 phase × $32,000 | $32,000.00 |
Phase 2 · DesignWeeks 4–8 · options and business cases
|
1 phase × $42,000 | $42,000.00 |
Phase 3 · MobiliseWeeks 9–12 · roadmap and mobilisation
|
1 phase × $28,000 | $28,000.00 |
| Options Tick to add | ||
| 1 day × $6,500 | $6,500.00 | |
| 4 wk × $6,000 | $24,000.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $108,500.00
- Tax (10%)
- $10,850.00
- Total
- $119,350.00
- First payment, 30% on signing
- $35,805.00
Payment stages set out in the SOW
- On signing30% of the fixed fee$35,805.00
- Design sign-off · week 840%, invoiced by Ashcombe$47,740.00
- Roadmap accepted · week 1230%, invoiced by Ashcombe$35,805.00
Only the payment on signing is taken in QuoteCloud. Later stages are invoiced by Ashcombe Partners.
Statement of work · Day rate
Network & margin review
- Diagnostic readout
- A scoped proposal for the next phase
Phases 4 weeks
Estimate of days
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Team days (estimate) | ||
Partner · Imogen HartSteering and the readout
|
2 days × $3,200 | $6,400.00 |
Principal · Rafael OrtegaDay-to-day lead
|
6 days × $2,400 | $14,400.00 |
Senior consultant · Mei TakahashiInterviews and site visits
|
7 days × $1,650 | $11,550.00 |
Analyst · Joel AbaraData and modelling
|
6 days × $1,100 | $6,600.00 |
| Options Tick to add | ||
| 5 days × $1,100 | $5,500.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $38,950.00
- Tax (10%)
- $3,895.00
- Estimated total
- $42,845.00
- Booking payment, 20% on signing
- $8,569.00
Payment stages set out in the SOW
- On signing20% of the estimate$8,569.00
- Each fortnightDays worked, invoiced by Ashcombe against the estimate$34,276.00
Only the payment on signing is taken in QuoteCloud. Later stages are invoiced by Ashcombe Partners.
Statement of work · Retainer
Network & margin review
- Monthly steering pack
- Quarterly progress review
- Advice on call through the program
Phases 6 months
Monthly retainer
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | ||
Transformation advisory retainer4 advisory days and one steering meeting a month
|
Monthly | $16,500.00/mo |
| Options Tick to add | ||
| Monthly | $4,200.00/mo | |
- Monthly fee
- $16,500.00
- Tax (10%)
- $1,650.00
- Monthly, inc tax
- $18,150.00
- Over 6 months, inc tax
- $108,900.00
- First month, paid on signing
- $18,150.00
Payment stages set out in the SOW
- On signingThe first month$18,150.00
- Months 2–6Invoiced monthly by Ashcombe, not billed by QuoteCloudYour invoice
Only the payment on signing is taken in QuoteCloud. Later stages are invoiced by Ashcombe Partners.
Statement of work · Value-based
Network & margin review
- Diagnostic with an agreed savings baseline
- Options, roadmap and mobilisation plan
- A six-month value review with your finance team
Phases 26 weeks
Fees
| Item | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | ||
Phase 1 · DiagnoseWeeks 1–3 · baseline agreed with finance
|
1 phase × $24,000 | $24,000.00 |
Phase 2 · DesignWeeks 4–8
|
1 phase × $34,000 | $34,000.00 |
Phase 3 · MobiliseWeeks 9–12
|
1 phase × $26,000 | $26,000.00 |
| Options Tick to add | ||
| 4 wk × $6,000 | $24,000.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $84,000.00
- Tax (10%)
- $8,400.00
- Total
- $92,400.00
- First payment, 25% on signing
- $23,100.00
Performance fee: 10% of the verified annualised savings above $1.2 million, capped at $60,000, invoiced by Ashcombe after the six-month value review. Ashcombe's own estimate of the opportunity is $1.8–2.6 million a year: an estimate from early analysis, not a promise.
Payment stages set out in the SOW
- On signing25% of the base fee$23,100.00
- Weeks 8 and 12The rest of the base fee, invoiced by AshcombeYour invoice
- After the value reviewPerformance fee, if earned, invoiced by AshcombeYour invoice
Only the payment on signing is taken in QuoteCloud. Later stages are invoiced by Ashcombe Partners.
Accept and sign 2 of 2 signed
- Carla MendesSponsor · Chief Operating Officer Signed Fri 23 Oct, 9:14 am
- Tom HaddowProcurement manager Signed Mon 26 Oct, 2:40 pm
Each signature is recorded in the audit trail, with a certificate of authenticity on the signed SOW.
Demo with fictional data: nothing is sent, stored or charged. Later payment stages are written into the SOW and invoiced by the firm; QuoteCloud takes only the payment on signing. The value estimate is the firm's own, never a promise.
Which model fits which engagement
Your partners make the call. This is how each model sits in a QuoteCloud SOW, what the client pays when they sign, and what you invoice from your own accounts later.
| Model | Fits when | In the price table | Paid on signing | You invoice later |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed feeWhole engagement | The problem is understood and the deliverables are clear. The client wants one number to take to the board. | A line per phase, options as rows the client ticks, payment on signing as a percentage. | $35,805.0030% of $119,350.00 | Milestone payments written into the SOW, such as 40% at design sign-off and 30% when the roadmap is accepted. |
| Day rateDiagnose first | Nobody can define the problem yet. Start with a short diagnostic and scope the rest as a new SOW. | A line per person with estimated days as the quantity and the day rate from your price book. | $8,569.0020% of $42,845.00 | Days actually worked, invoiced each fortnight against the estimate. |
| Retainer6 months, monthly | The client wants a partner on call through a program of change, not a one-off report. | A repeating price item for the monthly fee, with the term set out in the agreement.See retainers | $18,150.00the first month | Months 2 to 6, invoiced monthly by you. QuoteCloud never bills them, and nothing renews by itself. |
| Value-basedBase fee + performance fee | You and the client's finance team can agree how value will be measured before work starts. | The base fee by phase in the price table; the performance fee, its baseline and its cap as wording in the SOW. | $23,100.0025% of $92,400.00 | The rest of the base fee, then a performance fee only if the savings are verified. Any savings figure is your own estimate. |
Sample figures from Ashcombe Partners' fictional SOW AP-2417, inc tax, with each model's default options. Payments on signing need Stripe or PayPal connected (Essentials and up).
Or put the choice in front of the client
Some sponsors want to weigh the options themselves. Put the models in the SOW as a single-choice group: the client picks one, the fee line in the price table follows, and the total and first payment update before they sign.
Try it here. Choose Diagnose first, Fixed fee or Value-based, then tick or untick the leadership workshop. Each option carries your own wording about what is included.
- Single-choice groups, so only one model can be chosen
- Optional rows for add-ons such as a workshop
- Payment on signing as a percentage or a fixed amount
- Every stakeholder signs in their own signature block
Price tables and payments: Essentials and up
How QuoteCloud price tables workChoose how to engage us
Fees
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement | |||
Fixed feeThe engagement model you choose above
|
1 engagement | $102,000 | $102,000.00 |
| Options Tick to add | |||
| 1 day | $6,500 | $6,500.00 | |
- Subtotal
- $108,500.00
- Tax (10%)
- $10,850.00
- Total
- $119,350.00
- Plus, monthly
- $0.00/mo
- First payment, paid on signing (30%)
- $35,805.00
Accept and sign
0 of 2 signed
- Carla MendesSponsor · Chief Operating Officer Awaiting signature
- Tom HaddowProcurement manager Awaiting signature
First payment, paid on signing (30%)
$35,805.00
Paid via StripePay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Set up your engagement models in the trial
Free for 14 days, no credit card required. Bring your current fee proposal and we'll convert one template for you during the trial.
A retainer: the monthly fee in writing, the first month paid
A retainer is a repeating charge in the agreement: the monthly fee, what it covers and the term. Orrin Marine chose the Growth level at $13,500 a month plus tax for 12 months, and paid the first month when Jess Kowal signed.
Months two to twelve are invoiced by the firm from its own accounts. The agreement ends on its expiry date, and a renewal is a new agreement the client signs.
- Levels of support as a single choice, priced per month
- Repeating charges and a 12-month strip in the agreement
- First month paid on signing via PayPal or Stripe
- Expiry date and the Expiring Soon filter, nothing auto-renews
Payments, expiry dates and bulk send: Essentials and up
Retainer agreements & renewalsMonthly fees · Growth
| Service | Each month | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy session with your partner | 1 a month | $4,800.00 |
| Advisory days (principal) | 3 days | $7,200.00 |
| Board pack review | 1 a month | $1,500.00 |
- Monthly
- $13,500.00
- Term
- 12 months · $162,000
- N
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Accept the retainer
Jess Kowal · Managing director
Signed online · Wed 21 Oct, 4:05 pm
First month, paid on signing (100%)
$14,850.00
Paid via PayPalPay with card or PayPal
Certificate of authenticity and audit trail attached
Setting up a model in your SOW template
Five steps a practice manager follows once per engagement model.
One template per model
Save a SOW template for each model you sell, or one template with the models as a single-choice group.
Shape the price table
Phases for a fixed fee, people × days for a day rate, a repeating line for a retainer, a base fee for value pricing.
Write the later payments
Set out milestone or monthly payments as content in the SOW, so the client knows what you will invoice.
Set the payment on signing
Choose a percentage or a fixed amount, such as 30% of a fixed fee or the first month of a retainer.
Label your estimates
Any savings or value figure goes in as your own estimate, clearly worded, never as a promise.
Fee and engagement model questions, answered
Can a client choose between a fixed fee and a day rate in one proposal?
Yes. Put the models in the price table as a single-choice group, so the client can pick only one, and the fee line, total and payment on signing update with their choice. You can also add optional rows, such as a workshop, that they tick on top. Price tables are on the Essentials plan and up.
Does QuoteCloud bill day rates or milestone payments?
No. QuoteCloud takes one payment when the client signs, as a percentage or a fixed amount, through Stripe or PayPal. Days worked, milestone payments and later retainer months are written into the SOW as content and invoiced from your own accounting system. On the Business plan Xero and QuickBooks connect natively, otherwise through Zapier.
How do I show a retainer's monthly fee?
Add the monthly fee as a repeating price item with the term set out in the agreement, and offer levels of support as a single choice. The first month can be paid on signing. QuoteCloud shows the monthly fee but does not bill later months, and the agreement does not renew by itself: a renewal is a new agreement the client signs.
Can I write a value-based or success fee into a SOW?
Yes, as your own wording. Put the base fee in the price table and set out the performance fee, how value is measured, the baseline, any cap and when you invoice it in the SOW's text. QuoteCloud does not calculate or track a performance fee, and any savings figure should be labelled as your own estimate, not a promise.
Can each partner use a different engagement model template?
Yes. Save a SOW template for each model, such as fixed fee, diagnostic on a day rate and retainer, and share them across the firm, so each partner starts from the right structure. Day rates come from your product catalogue, and on the Business plan an approval workflow can hold any SOW whose discount goes over your threshold.
More for consulting firms
Every page of the QuoteCloud consulting microsite.
-
Statements of work & engagement proposalsSituation, objectives, approach, phases, deliverables, team and assumptions in one SOW the client signs.Explore
-
Team rate cards, margins & discount approvalsDay rates by role from your price book, cost and margin your client never sees, and discounts routed for approval.Explore
-
Retainer agreements & renewalsMonthly fees shown in the agreement, an expiry date you can see coming, and renewal offers bulk-sent to retainer clients.Explore
- Tender & RFP responsesCorporate and government bids from approved answers, case studies and locked compliance wording, priced and approved before you submit.
- Case studies, methodology & AI-drafted summariesYour methods, case studies and team bios as reusable blocks, and an executive summary drafted with the AI Co-Worker for you to accept or edit.
- HR, change & people programsChange programs, workshops, training and HR reviews as phased proposals with sessions, participants and options.
- Sponsor & procurement signing, and NDAsThe sponsor and procurement each sign the SOW in their own browser, and NDAs go out for signature before the first briefing.
- Change requests & revised SOWsScope changes as a revised version or a change request the client signs, with the earlier versions kept.
- CRM & accounting integrationsPipedrive direct, HubSpot through Zapier, Xero and QuickBooks native on Business, and the API for your own systems.
- Consulting templatesReal QuoteCloud templates for consulting proposals, strategic plans, consulting contracts, HR proposals and NDAs.
- QuoteCloud implementation for consulting firmsYour SOW template converted, rate card imported, methodology blocks in the library and partners trained.
- FAQAnswers to the questions consultants, advisers and boutique firms ask most.
Price the engagement the way the work needs
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