How the work may be priced.
Hourly billing is common for support, troubleshooting, and consulting. Estimates, written scopes, milestone plans, or project pricing may be used when the desired result and included work can be defined reliably.
Diagnostic or planning work
When the cause or solution is still unclear, the first step may be paid investigation, research, or planning. That work should still produce useful findings, options, or a clearer path forward, even if no larger project follows.
Hourly service and support
Most troubleshooting, setup, repair, consulting, and improvement work can be billed for the time actually spent. Before starting, we discuss the known problem, priorities, and likely path. If the work grows beyond what reasonably seemed likely, I will check in at a sensible point before continuing.
Project estimate or written scope
When the desired result and included work are clear enough, I may provide an estimate, milestone plan, or written project scope. Estimates are based on the information and assumptions available at the time; meaningful changes or new findings are discussed rather than quietly added.
What shapes an estimate.
Uncertainty and investigation
An obvious replacement is easier to price than an intermittent failure spread across several devices, vendors, or accounts. A paid diagnostic may be the fairest first step when the unknowns are substantial.
Time, access, and travel
Remote work, onsite access, business hours, travel distance, parking, site restrictions, and waiting on vendors can change the amount of usable work time.
Risk and business impact
Changes that affect payments, connectivity, production, customer data, or several employees need more preparation, testing, recovery planning, and documentation.
Equipment and third-party services
Hardware, licenses, subscriptions, shipping, vendor fees, and specialist services are normally identified separately unless the written scope says they are included.
Documentation and handoff
Diagrams, account and ownership notes, quick guides, inventories, testing records, and training take time, but can make the result easier to understand and maintain.
Urgency and schedule constraints
Planned weekday work is preferred. Accepted rush, evening, weekend, or tightly scheduled work may have different availability or pricing.
Minimums, travel, deposits, and changing scope.
Rates, minimums, and travel charges can vary with the type, location, timing, and scope of the work. The applicable pricing approach, any minimum charge, expected travel costs, and known outside expenses are discussed before paid work begins. Published information is general guidance and is subject to change.
Minimum charges
Minimum charges may apply to remote or onsite work. A typical minimum is approximately two hours or around $150, but the exact amount depends on the request and is confirmed before scheduling. If the calculated labor is below the agreed minimum, the minimum applies; it is not added on top of the same labor.
Travel outside the normal area
Most work within roughly 30 minutes of Kingsport, including much of the core Tri-Cities area, normally does not require a separate travel charge. Work beyond that range or outside the core Tri-Cities area may include travel time, mileage, or a larger minimum. Any applicable travel cost is discussed before scheduling.
Deposits and purchases
Whenever practical, clients purchase and maintain their own hardware, software, licenses, and subscriptions directly. This keeps ownership, billing, and renewals under their control. If I need to order equipment or commit to third-party costs on a client’s behalf, a deposit or advance payment may be required and will be discussed first.
Changes after work begins
Technology work can uncover new information. If the expected effort changes substantially, I will explain what I found and ask how you want to proceed. That may mean continuing hourly, revising the estimate or scope, or stopping at a useful checkpoint.
A fair approach should still be clear.
Before significant paid work begins, you should understand the pricing method, any applicable minimum or deposit, what is included, important assumptions, and which outside costs are separate. I track time carefully and aim to keep billing clear, fair, and competitive. When circumstances warrant it, I may adjust billed time or charges at my discretion.