Laravel Agency Pricing Models Explained (Fixed, Retainer and Time & Materials)

When someone gets in touch about building a Laravel platform, or updating their existing one, the question comes quickly: “What is it going to cost?”

Fair question.

As a Laravel agency, we have seen a wide array of budgets, and while there’s no single “right” way to price a project, there is a right way for you, your team, and your goals.

Most Laravel agencies will work within one (or more) of these models:

• Fixed price

• Time & Materials (T&M)

• Retainers

At Steadfast Collective, we have used each of these models successfully, sometimes even within the same project.

Here is how they work at Steadfast Collective:

Fixed Price

A fixed price project does what it says on the tin.

We work together to define the scope. We define the price.

This is best when you have clarity on what is being built. You will get a detailed proposal from us that includes what is included (deployment, testing, documentation), and what is not (content population, training, third-party licensing).

There is still room to flex if needed, say you decide halfway through that a certain feature needs a tweak or a new addition. In that case, we will create a short Statement of Work that bolts on neatly to the original contract.

We do not believe in surprise invoices, and neither should you.

Time and Materials (T&M)

T&M suits projects where learning and iteration are baked into the brief.

Instead of fixing the price, you pay for the time our Laravel developers, designers and strategists spend, week by week, sprint by sprint.

It works brilliantly for:

• R&D-heavy builds

• When scope is fluid or evolving

• Longer-term Laravel projects with new unknowns still emerging

The critical part here is trust and visibility. We provide weekly sprint reports, burn-down charts and regular check-ins so you know exactly where your budget is going. 

You will never be left wondering if your hours are being used well.

Growth & Support Retainers

Here is a stat: Over 90% of our clients have a Growth & Support retainer with us.

Why? 

Because Laravel platforms need care long after launch. Bug fixes, security patches, performance enhancements, and small tweaks add up. And scrambling to book in an hour here or there is inefficient for everyone.

Not only do Laravel platforms need looking after, they should be growing, improving and catering to the needs of your users with time.

A retainer secures you a guaranteed slice of our Laravel agency team’s time each month. But it is more than reactive support, it’s also proactive.

We do not just wait for tickets to come in. We bring ideas to the table, we ask you for your business goals and create features to nudge engagement up, insights from analytics, UX improvements. 

It is a partnership designed to make your Laravel platform better month-on-month.

What to Watch Out For

Choosing a Laravel agency is not just about the figure on the quote; it is about what is included.

Ask:

• Is design, QA, hosting setup part of the cost?

• How are external costs handled (payment gateways, error tracking, CDNs)?

• Who owns the IP?
  

And always understand the exit routes:

• Can retainers be adjusted month-to-month?

• What happens if an emergency sits outside the retainer?

• Do unused hours roll over or get converted into planned improvements?

And here is the big one: beware of under-scoped, too-good-to-be-true quotes.

We have seen this countless times; cheap upfront, costly long term. 

You will pay later in missing functionality, patchy fixes and mounting technical debt. Not to mention the stress.

If you want to see how we approach pricing and how we help clients hit their business goals, start here:

→ Laravel Development Services

When you are ready for a no-fluff, friendly chat about how we work and what it will cost, you can find us here:

→ Contact Steadfast Collective

And if you want more on budgeting, retainers and Laravel development best practice:

→ Articles

FAQ

Q1: Can I switch from fixed price to T&M mid-project?
Yes. Many clients use fixed pricing to define the early stages and switch to T&M once scope is better understood.

Q2: What does a typical retainer cost?
Anywhere from £1,400 to £10,000/month depending on complexity of your project and how quickly you need us to respond.

Q3: Are bug fixes covered under warranty or maintenance?
We include a warranty window with all fixed-scope Laravel projects. After that, bug fixes fall under your support retainer.

Q4: How do I keep T&M costs under control?
Weekly updates, capped sprint budgets, and visibility. If your Laravel agency is not giving you that, ask why not.

Q5: Can a retainer include design and UX tweaks?
Absolutely. Our Laravel agency retainers include access to the full Steadfast Collective team, strategy, design, UX and development.