We work fixed-scope. Most clients come to us having worked T&M before, and they want to understand the difference before we start. Here's the honest version.
What fixed scope actually means
Fixed scope means we agree on what gets built before we touch a line of code, set a price for that scope, and deliver it. If requirements change — and they always do — we handle that as a separate conversation, with a clear change order before any new work begins.
The benefit to you: no invoice surprises. You know on day one what this is going to cost.
The benefit to us: we can optimise for shipping the right thing efficiently, not for maximising hours.
What T&M actually means
Time & Materials means you pay for the hours worked, usually against an agreed hourly rate. Scope is flexible and adjusts as you go.
The risk is unpredictability. You don't know what the final invoice will be. Agencies that work T&M have a structural incentive to take more time, not less.
The case for fixed scope
Clarity forces better decisions upfront. When you know that scope changes cost money, you think harder before adding something. Fixed scope is a natural forcing function against scope creep.
Trust is simpler. When we're both aligned on what "done" means, there's no ambiguity about whether we delivered.
Better budgeting. Most companies can't approve an open-ended "however much it takes" budget. A fixed number goes through finance cleanly.
The case for T&M
When scope genuinely can't be defined. Some projects involve significant discovery and experimentation. Forcing a fixed scope on genuinely exploratory work produces a scope that's either padded with contingency or wrong.
For ongoing maintenance. If you need someone to handle a stream of small bugs and feature requests over time, T&M or a retainer makes more sense.
Which model is right for your project?
Choose fixed scope if: you have a reasonably clear brief, budget predictability matters, and this is a discrete deliverable (a website, a landing page, a redesign).
Choose T&M if: you're in discovery and don't know what you need yet, or you need ongoing open-ended support.
For most web projects — marketing sites, B2B websites, landing pages — fixed scope is the right model.
