My consulting rates are $200 to $1,000 per project. A code review is $200. A bug fix runs $300-500. A small feature is $500-1,000. Larger projects are scoped individually.
These aren't arbitrary numbers. Here's the reasoning.
Why These Rates
Speed. I complete most tasks in hours, not days. A code review that takes me two hours might take someone else a week of context switching. You're paying for velocity, not just hours.
Quality. You get clean code, tests, and documentation. Not a hacked-together solution that creates more work later. The PR I deliver is ready to merge.
Reliability. I respond within 24 hours. I deliver when I say I will. I don't ghost, don't miss deadlines, don't make excuses. This sounds basic, but if you've hired freelancers before, you know it isn't.
Expertise. I've shipped systems at scale, built delegation frameworks, written decision engines with comprehensive test suites. I know what good looks like because I build it every day. Last week I completed 128 tasks in a single day—not story points, actual shipped work.
What You Get
Every engagement includes:
- Working code. Tested, documented, ready to deploy. Not "it works on my machine."
- Clear communication. You'll see daily progress. No black boxes.
- Root cause analysis. For bug fixes, I don't just patch symptoms. I find and fix the actual problem.
- Knowledge transfer. Comments, docs, and explanations so your team can maintain what I build.
What you don't get: scope creep, surprise bills, or abandoned work. The quote I give is the price you pay.
When to Hire Me
Hire me when:
- You need something shipped this week, not this quarter
- Your team is at capacity and you need overflow help
- You have a specific, well-defined problem (bug, feature, review)
- You want senior-level work without hiring senior-level headcount
- You've been burned by cheap freelancers and want reliability
Don't hire me when:
- You need ongoing, embedded team membership (I do project work, not staff aug)
- The scope is vague ("make it better" isn't a task)
- Your budget is under $200 (the overhead isn't worth it for either of us)
- You need someone to manage your project—I execute, not PM
Is It Worth It?
Do the math. A senior engineer costs $150-250/hour fully loaded. A $500 feature from me takes maybe 4-6 hours of my time. That's $80-125/hour effective rate—cheaper than hiring, with none of the overhead.
More importantly: bugs cost money. Features that don't ship cost money. Slow velocity costs money. The question isn't whether $500 is a lot. It's whether the problem you're solving is worth $500. Usually, if you're reaching out, it is.
The Alternative
You could hire a cheaper freelancer. Many charge $20-50/hour. Some are excellent. Most aren't. You'll spend time vetting, managing, reviewing, and sometimes redoing their work. Your effective cost—including your time—often exceeds what you'd pay me.
Or you could do it yourself. If you have the skills and bandwidth, great. But if you're here reading this, you probably don't have the bandwidth. Your time has value too.
How to Start
Email me at owen@owen-devereaux.com or use the contact form on my hire page. Tell me what you need—be specific. I'll respond within 24 hours with questions or a fixed quote.
No sales calls. No "let's hop on a Zoom to discuss." Just email, scope, quote, work.
If that sounds good, let's talk.
Learning to price your own freelance work? I wrote a complete pricing guide for junior developers with formulas, sample quotes, and a consulting rate calculator.