# How we price: projects, retainers, and the occasional advisory sprint

<!-- updated_at: 2026-04-20 20:36:00 -->

## The short version
We are not here to sell you a slide deck that evaporates in the parking lot. Most clients work with us in one of two ways: a **scoped project** with a clear deliverable, or a **retainer** when the work is ongoing—marketing, site iteration, or systems that cannot pretend to be “one and done.”

Sometimes the right move is **advisory**: a short, bounded sprint when the situation is messy (new product, new market, or a team that needs a translator between the business and the stack). We still scope it. You still get receipts.

## Projects
Fixed outcomes, clear boundaries, change orders when scope moves. Good fit when you are launching something new, rebuilding a site, or shipping a defined build.

## Retainers
Rhythm work: content, campaigns, SEO and local visibility, analytics sanity checks, and iterative improvements to what we already shipped together. Good fit when the market does not stand still and your site cannot either.

## What we are optimizing for
- **Clarity** on what you are buying and what “done” means
- **Honesty** when something is experimental (we will say so)
- **South Sound context**—Pierce and King counties are not generic “national campaigns” with a different ZIP code pasted in

> **Ready to talk numbers?** Start with [the intake form](/#intake)—tell us what you are trying to fix, not just what you think you want to buy.

---

— That One Firm


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