Big job? Contractors?

[Knute Johnson]

I may be supervising a big job later this year and wanted to get some
information from some of the contract programmers on the group. I need
to know what contract programmers are charging these days? I don't
think that the programmers would need to relocate but would probably
need to travel to one location for meetings once a month or so. How do
people charge for travel time? What sorts of skill sets should I expect
a contract programmer to have and how would that affect his/her hourly rate?

The people I'm talking to think this is going to be a pretty big job
with somewhere around two to four man years design and programming.
They want it done in Java to allow for possible hardware and operating
system changes both before and after installation. I've done a lot of
work for them on smaller jobs and they've been really happy with the
quick development time using Java.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Feel free to email
direct if you like (replace the nospam with knute in the email address).

 

[Scott Ellsworth]

I may be supervising a big job later this year and wanted to get some
information from some of the contract programmers on the group. I need
to know what contract programmers are charging these days?

All over the map. We bill between $95 and $135 an hour, depending on
the person you contract with. (More experienced developers, or those
whose skill sets are more in demand cost more.) Our clients are
generally happy, and because we try to schedule weekly face time, they
can correct problems early. This tends to produce success.

I recently got a spam from an Indian outsourcing company promising eight
ways from Sunday that their $20/hr programmers dominate ours in every
way. In general, these tend to fail, not because the programmers are
not competent, but because of lack of face time. I suspect they would
do well if the entire management staff were moved from the US to
Bangalore, but then the cost starts to climb.

If you want workers who can physically travel to a project, then you are
probably looking at rates above $100/hr for the best of breed
consultants.

I don't
think that the programmers would need to relocate but would probably
need to travel to one location for meetings once a month or so. How do
people charge for travel time? What sorts of skill sets should I expect
a contract programmer to have and how would that affect his/her hourly rate?

For us, most travel time is paid by the consulting group rather than the
client. If we believe that it is going to be substantial, we negotiate
higher rates, or for some coverage. For example, we might move the face
time to monthly, or perhaps bill a reasonable amount for travel.

(In other words, losing 5% of our billable time to travel was just not a
big deal. A two hour plane flight with another hour lost to the TSA
each way takes away a quarter of our billable time, which would need to
make that up somehow.)

As far as skill sets, look for experience, and be up front about whether
you are shooting for short or long term. I approach one month gigs
differently than six month gigs, and target deliverables differently.

Further, note that experienced people cost money, and that consultants
like long term relationships just as much as you do. As one of my
clients put it, "I pay your rates in order to get you in specific". I
liked the freedom of the consulting arrangement, he liked not having to
pay benefits, not having to find work space, not providing our
workstations, and being able to use us when he had work, without being
committed beyond the current projects.

The people I'm talking to think this is going to be a pretty big job
with somewhere around two to four man years design and programming.
They want it done in Java to allow for possible hardware and operating
system changes both before and after installation. I've done a lot of
work for them on smaller jobs and they've been really happy with the
quick development time using Java.

It is the primary language we use as well.

I would appreciate any comments or suggestions. Feel free to email
direct if you like (replace the nospam with knute in the email address).

Drop a line if you want any of this expanded further.

Scott
(e-mail address removed)
Java and Database consulting

 

[Knute Johnson]

All over the map. We bill between $95 and $135 an hour, depending on
the person you contract with. (More experienced developers, or those
whose skill sets are more in demand cost more.) Our clients are
generally happy, and because we try to schedule weekly face time, they
can correct problems early. This tends to produce success.

I recently got a spam from an Indian outsourcing company promising eight
ways from Sunday that their $20/hr programmers dominate ours in every
way. In general, these tend to fail, not because the programmers are
not competent, but because of lack of face time. I suspect they would
do well if the entire management staff were moved from the US to
Bangalore, but then the cost starts to climb.

If you want workers who can physically travel to a project, then you are
probably looking at rates above $100/hr for the best of breed
consultants.




For us, most travel time is paid by the consulting group rather than the
client. If we believe that it is going to be substantial, we negotiate
higher rates, or for some coverage. For example, we might move the face
time to monthly, or perhaps bill a reasonable amount for travel.

(In other words, losing 5% of our billable time to travel was just not a
big deal. A two hour plane flight with another hour lost to the TSA
each way takes away a quarter of our billable time, which would need to
make that up somehow.)

As far as skill sets, look for experience, and be up front about whether
you are shooting for short or long term. I approach one month gigs
differently than six month gigs, and target deliverables differently.

Further, note that experienced people cost money, and that consultants
like long term relationships just as much as you do. As one of my
clients put it, "I pay your rates in order to get you in specific". I
liked the freedom of the consulting arrangement, he liked not having to
pay benefits, not having to find work space, not providing our
workstations, and being able to use us when he had work, without being
committed beyond the current projects.




It is the primary language we use as well.




Drop a line if you want any of this expanded further.

Scott
(e-mail address removed)
Java and Database consulting

Scott:

Thanks very much for your reply.

 

[Scott Ellsworth]

Scott:

Thanks very much for your reply.

Quite welcome. Let us know how it works out, and what the question
answers turned out to be for your project.

Scott
(e-mail address removed)
Java and Database consulting