Agency Pricing & Retainer Calculator

What you get

A five-sheet Excel workbook that derives your minimum viable hourly rate from real cost and income inputs, then carries that rate through project quotes, retainer tiers, and break-even analysis. Every output recalculates automatically when your inputs change. One file covers the full range from a single-project estimate to a structured monthly retainer.

Who it's for

Agency owners, studio principals, and independent consultants who are setting rates for the first time or suspect their current pricing is not covering costs. It is most useful before writing a major proposal, at the start of a new fiscal year, or when adding a team member changes your loaded cost structure.

What's inside

• Rate Calculator sheet — enter target take-home income, team headcount, loaded costs, overhead, billable utilization, and profit margin target; the sheet outputs your minimum viable hourly rate
• Project Pricing sheet — translates your base rate into client-ready quotes for defined scopes, with break-even threshold and gross margin displayed per project type
• Retainer Pricing sheet — builds monthly retainer tiers with included hours, showing the break-even point and margin for each tier
• Scenario Comparison sheet — models the rate increase required when billable utilization falls 10 or 20 percent below target, so you know exactly how much buffer to build in
• Loaded cost inputs — salary, benefits, and employer taxes entered per team member, feeding every downstream calculation
• Margin overlay — gross margin is visible on every pricing sheet so profitability stays in view during client negotiations

How to use it

Open the file in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and start with the Rate Calculator sheet. Fill in your inputs — income target, headcount, loaded costs, overhead, utilization, and margin — then move through Project Pricing, Retainer Pricing, and Scenario Comparison in order. Each sheet draws from the same foundation, so the entire workbook stays consistent as your numbers evolve.