My Consulting Rates
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| If I do the job alone | $150/hr |
| If you watch me work | $200/hr |
| If you tell me how to do it | $300/hr |
| If you help | $500/hr |
| If you vibe-coded it | $1000/hr |
Ever wonder why developers charge more when you ask if you can “help”? This post breaks down my consulting rates and the real cost of collaboration. From quiet solo coding at $150/hr to full-blown “vibe-coded” disaster recovery at $1000/hr, it’s a gentle reminder that experience saves time. And that sometimes, the most expensive line of code is the one you didn’t let me write to start with.
Let's break it down.
If I do the job alone ($150/hr):
You get professional work done quietly, efficiently, and with minimal existential screaming. I'll even comment my code. Probably.
If you watch me work ($200/hr):
Now we're pairing. Except you're not typing. You're sipping coffee and asking "so what's that do?" every five minutes. That's fine. I'll explain recursion again.
If you tell me how to do it ($300/hr):
Classic! You read a Stack Overflow answer once and you're ready to "collaborate." No worries. I'll bill you for the debugging phase we both knew was coming.
If you help ($500/hr):
I love enthusiasm, but let's be honest: the moment you open your laptop and start "just fixing a few things," my productivity drops to zero and my blood pressure spikes. Hazard pay applies.
If you vibe-coded it ($1000/hr):
You know who you are. You built it on a Tuesday night under a full moon after watching a YouTube tutorial titled "You Won't Believe What This CSS Property Can Do." It "worked on your machine," and now it's on fire in production. I'll put on my firefighter hat and invoice accordingly.