How to raise your freelance rates with existing clients

Give notice, name the new number, and pick a date it starts. That is the whole email. The hard part is deciding to send it.

TL;DR

• Raise rates for existing clients with written notice — 30 to 60 days is common — a clear new rate, and a start date tied to the next project, renewal, or billing month. Do not apologise, do not list your bills, and do not raise mid-project unless the contract allows it. New clients get the new rate immediately. Put the rate in the proposal or contract so the invoice only documents what was agreed.

Key takeaways

• New clients pay the new rate from day one. Existing clients get notice.
• Change rates at a natural boundary: new project, renewal, or the first of a month.
• One short email beats a long justification. Value is the reason; you don't need to prove inflation.
• Expect some clients to stay, some to negotiate, and maybe one to leave. Plan cash flow for that.
• The new rate belongs in the proposal and contract first, then on the invoice.

This post is for a freelancer who has been on the same rate for a while and has at least one client they want to keep. It covers timing, the number, the email, and what to do with the replies.

Who this is for

You are fully booked or close to it, your work has improved, or your rate was set when you were starting out. You want to charge more without blowing up relationships that pay the bills.

If you are still working out what your rate should be, run the numbers first with the freelance hourly rate calculator. This post assumes you already know the number.

When to raise your rates

Good signals:

• You are turning down work or your calendar is full weeks ahead.
• A client's scope has grown but the rate hasn't.
• You have not changed your rate in a year or more.
• New clients accept your quote without any pushback at all.

Good moments to make the change:

• Before a new project or phase. The new rate goes in the new proposal.
• At a retainer renewal. See how to invoice a retainer client for setting the monthly amount.
• At the start of a quarter or month. Clean for recurring invoices and for your books.

Bad moment: halfway through a fixed-price project. If the quote was agreed, honour it. Use scope changes to reprice extra work, not the work you already promised.

How much to raise

There is no correct percentage, and I won't invent one. A few practical rules:

• Raise enough that it is worth the conversation. A tiny bump creates the same awkwardness as a meaningful one.
• Round to a number you can say out loud without wincing.
• Decide your floor before you send anything. If a client negotiates, you already know where you stop.
• Consider moving long-running hourly clients to a project or retainer price instead. The comparison in retainer vs project pricing helps here.

The email (copy you can adapt)

Keep it short. Send it to the person who approves budget, not only your day-to-day contact.

**Subject:** Rate update from [month]

Hi [name],

Quick heads-up: from [date], my rate for new work will be [new rate]. Anything already agreed before then stays at the current rate.

I've really enjoyed working on [project or outcome], and I'd love to keep going. If it's useful to plan budget for next quarter, happy to put together an estimate at the new rate.

Thanks,
[your name]

What is not in it: an apology, your rent, your software costs, or "I hope this is okay." You are informing, not asking permission.

How much notice to give

• Project clients before you send the next proposal. The proposal itself is the notice.
• Retainer or recurring clients 30 to 60 days, or whatever your contract says. Longer if they plan budgets annually.
• Clients you invoice monthly start the new rate on the first invoice of a month, not mid-month.

If your contract has a rate-review clause, follow it. If it doesn't, add one next time — see what every freelance contract should include.

Handling the replies

"Sounds good." Most common. Update your saved services and recurring invoices so the next one goes out at the new rate.

"Can we keep the old rate a bit longer?" Decide in advance. A short grace period (one more month, or until the current phase ends) is a reasonable concession. Holding the old rate indefinitely is not.

"That's over our budget." Offer a smaller scope at the new rate rather than the same scope at the old rate. Fewer deliverables, same price per unit.

Silence. Send the new rate on the next proposal or invoice as you said you would. Silence after written notice is acceptance in practice; if you want it explicit, ask for a one-line confirmation.

They leave. It happens. If you've planned for it, it frees time for clients at the new rate. Keep an eye on cash flow for the month after.

Make the new rate stick

The rate change fails quietly when the old number is still saved everywhere.

• Update the rate in your proposal and contract templates.
• Update saved services or line items so new invoices pick up the new price.
• Update recurring invoices that start after the change date — see recurring freelance invoices.
• Leave invoices for work done before the date at the old rate. Don't backdate.

How Brisk helps

• Reusable services keep your rate in one place, so the new number shows up on every new invoice.
• Contracts (free while in beta) put the rate in writing before work starts. Start from the free freelance contract template or see contracts in Brisk.
• Recurring invoices (Pro) let you change the amount once for future months.

Start for free. Pricing.

FAQ

How often should freelancers raise their rates?

Review once a year at minimum. Raise when demand, skill, or scope has clearly moved — not on a fixed schedule for its own sake.

Should I tell clients why I'm raising my rates?

One line about the value of the work is enough. A list of costs invites negotiation on each item.

Can I raise rates in the middle of a project?

Only if the contract allows it. Otherwise, finish the agreed work at the agreed price and apply the new rate to the next phase or project.

What if a client says no?

Offer a smaller scope at the new rate, a short grace period, or a clean handover. Decide your floor before you send the email.

Do new clients get the new rate immediately?

Yes. Notice is for people already working with you. New quotes go out at the new rate.

Key insights

- The email is short because the decision is already made. - A rate change isn't finished until every saved price, template, and recurring invoice uses the new number.

If you want your rates, contracts, and invoices in one place so a rate change happens once, use Brisk.