IT consultants advise and support small businesses, nonprofits, and sometimes larger organizations on networks, cloud services, security, hardware, and software. They invoice for hourly support, project work like office moves or Microsoft 365 migrations, monthly managed service agreements, and pass-through costs like licenses and equipment.
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Most solo and small-shop IT consultants use a mix of models. Hourly billing is common for break-fix work, troubleshooting, and advisory time, often with a minimum block such as one hour or a half-day onsite. Projects like server replacements, network buildouts, or cloud migrations are usually quoted as a flat fee based on estimated hours plus a buffer. Ongoing support is often sold as a monthly retainer or managed services agreement, priced per user, per device, or as a block of included hours. Hardware, software licenses, and subscriptions are billed separately, either at cost or with a markup (commonly 10-30%) and listed as their own line items. After-hours, emergency, and travel time often carry a premium or a separate trip charge.
| Service | Priced | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly support and troubleshooting (remote) | per hour | $85-175 |
| Onsite visit | per hour (1-2 hour minimum) | $100-200 |
| Project work (migrations, network setup, security hardening) | per hour | $125-225 |
| Managed services / ongoing support | per user per month | $75-200 |
| Monthly retainer for a block of support hours | per month | $500-3,000 |
| Virtual CIO or strategy advisory | per month | $1,000-5,000 |
| Security assessment or IT audit | flat fee | $1,500-7,500 |
| Emergency or after-hours response | per hour | $150-300 |
Typical US ranges. Rates vary by region, experience, and job size.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 tenant migration: 12 mailboxes, SharePoint setup, MFA enrollment | 14 hours | $150.00 | $2,100.00 |
| Onsite workstation setup and Outlook profile configuration (6 workstations) | 4 hours | $110.00 | $440.00 |
| Microsoft 365 Business Premium licenses, first month (resold) | 12 licenses | $24.00 | $288.00 |
| Firewall replacement: hardware (Fortinet 60F with 1-year support bundle) | 1 each | $875.00 | $875.00 |
| Firewall configuration, VPN setup, and cutover (after hours) | 3 hours | $175.00 | $525.00 |
| Travel / trip charge | 2 trips | $50.00 | $100.00 |
| Total | $4,328.00 | ||
Notes: Payment due within 15 days of invoice date. Hardware remains covered by manufacturer warranty; license renewals are billed annually on the anniversary date. Late balances accrue 1.5% per month. Please reference invoice number on ACH or check payments.
Clients often have several people calling for help, and dated entries make it easy to match the bill to tickets and resolve questions.
Vague lines like 'IT support' invite disputes. Tying time to a ticket shows what was fixed and why it took the time it did.
Different rates apply to different work, and clients need to see the correct rate was used for each block.
Clients need the records for warranty claims, asset tracking, and depreciation. It also separates product costs from labor.
Resold licenses recur. Listing the term avoids confusion when a renewal charge shows up later.
Shows what the monthly fee covered and why additional time is billed separately.
Larger clients and nonprofits often require a PO to pay. Tax treatment of hardware, software, and services varies by state, so show tax or exemption clearly.
IT consultants commonly bill managed services and retainers monthly in advance, and hourly work monthly in arrears or on completion of a ticket batch. Net 15 or Net 30 is standard; net 15 is easier for small clients. For projects, a deposit of 25-50% is typical, and hardware is often paid in full upfront or by deposit since the consultant is fronting the cost. Many consultants charge a late fee of 1-1.5% per month and reserve the right to pause support or remote access on seriously overdue accounts, if the contract allows it. ACH and credit card are the most common payment methods, with card fees sometimes passed through on large invoices.
A 15-minute fix still costs you the context switch and travel. Set a minimum such as 30 or 60 minutes for remote and a two-hour minimum for onsite, and state it in your agreement.
Do not carry thousands of dollars in equipment on your own credit. Collect a deposit or full payment before ordering, and list each item as its own line so the markup is clear.
Domain names, SSL certificates, backup subscriptions, and licenses renew on different dates. Keep a renewal calendar and bill on a schedule so you are not covering costs out of pocket.
Spell out what a monthly fee covers, response times, and what counts as a project. Anything outside scope gets billed at your hourly rate with prior approval.
Admin credentials, config changes, and who approved what protect you if something breaks later. Attach a short work summary to invoices for larger projects.
Use hourly for open-ended troubleshooting and ongoing support. Use a flat fee for projects with a clear scope, like a migration for a set number of users, and build in a buffer for surprises. If the scope is unclear, bill hourly with a not-to-exceed estimate.
Yes, most consultants do, typically 10-30% on hardware and licenses, since they handle sourcing, configuration, warranty, and the risk. Be upfront about it in your agreement, and show products as separate lines from labor.
It depends on the state. Hardware is generally taxable, but treatment of software, SaaS, and consulting labor varies widely. Check with your state's department of revenue or a tax professional, and show tax as its own line if you collect it.
Most consultants either charge a flat trip fee or bill travel time at a reduced hourly rate. Mileage can be added at a set per-mile rate. Whatever you choose, put it in your agreement and itemize it on the invoice.
Send a reminder at the due date, then follow up again at 15 days. If your agreement allows it, give written notice and suspend non-emergency support until the balance is paid. Make sure you keep a copy of the agreement and the invoice history.
Send a IT Consultant estimate for approval, then turn it into an invoice when the work is done.
IT Consultant estimate template