Initial consultation and job estimate is free

Deposit (nonrefundable)

For a job estimated at 5 or fewer hours, I require a $75 deposit payable at the time the contract is signed.  For all others the deposit is $150.  The amount will be applied to the final billing statement.

Hourly fee

My basic charge is $60/hour.

However, my first five Virginia clients will get a substantial discount -- $40/hour for the duration of the project.

Once a contract is signed, billable time includes:

Time spent traveling between my house and the location of the collection.
I expect to at least begin and end the project at the location of the client's collection. The amount of time spent physically handling the collection depends on the nature of the project and my and the client’s mutual agreement.
 

Telephone time related to the project.

Meeting time related to the project.

 

Time spent doing the actual inventory.

Time spent explaining what I’ve done (see the “Maintaining/upgrading the system” information below for details).

If I estimate that the project will take more than 20 hours to complete, I will bill in 20 hour blocks unless other arrangements are made.

Travel costs

Clients whose collections are located more than 20 miles from Manassas will be billed the standard IRS mileage rate (as of 7/2006) of 44.5 cents per mile for business miles driven (as per http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=151226,00.html). 

The number of days traveled and number of miles will be itemed on the final bill.

Materials

One of the decisions to be made during the initial consultation is the format for the finished project.  Sample formats are a document (with or without a spreadsheet), CD, flash drive, DVD with photos, but I will do my best to accommodate your wishes. 

If you provide the materials yourself, there will be no charge for materials.  If I am to provide the materials, the charge will include both the travel time it took to acquire it/them and a handling fee equal to the cost of the material plus 15%.

Maintaining/updating the system

If you want, I will give you a detailed enough explanation of how I created the system so that you can maintain it past the initial stage.  If you prefer, you can also contract me for occasional updates to initial system at a rate of 20% discount of my presiding rate.

You, the client, can control:

The time it takes to complete the job by:

Specifying the amount of your possessions to be inventoried.  For example, if you have only a few valuable or sentimental pieces in your collection, you don’t have to have the entire collection inventoried.

Getting the collection together and otherwise eliminating preparation time.

The supplies; you can supply your own if you want.  See the “materials” information above for details.

The level (i.e., the amount of detail) of inventory.  I can make recommendations, but the ultimate decision is yours.

Any subsequent inventorying.  See the “Maintaining/upgrading the system” information above for details.