Municipalities in my region (procurement rules) can't legally sign contingency agreements. I've been quoting hourly but it's a tough sell. Anyone cracking this with flat-fee-per-site structures?
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Flat-fee vs contingency for municipal clients
Flat fee per account works. I charge $450 per meter for a full historical + go-forward audit, delivered as a report. Cities love it because it's predictable and procurable. I average 30% gross margin on that rate, which is lower than contingency but way more scalable.
The fee question comes up every time. My answer: what's your alternative? Zero percent of nothing found by someone else.