I generally agree with sticking to a standard flat rate. I don't charge extra for off hours or anything else, but I also make sure the client understands what

I generally agree with sticking to a standard flat rate. I don't charge extra for off hours or anything else, but I also make sure the client understands what my availability is for after hours etc. In general, I try to set very clear boundaries with clients otherwise some will just abuse the hell out of you. I also do a minimum charge of 1 hour. So if you do call me in the evening I will charge you 1/hr regardless if it takes me 2 minutes or 58 minutes. Seems fair to me. Also, I have started moving towards less hourly rates and more fixed cost bids if/when I can get good understanding of the task. In fact, I like to break it down in weekly blocks and charge for that deliverable. This way I am not playing hourly billing games, the client doesn't feel nickle and dimed and if I can finish in 20 hours, I have more time left to do other work. This makes my hourly rate much higher than what most smaller businesses would pay. They get shocked at an hourly rate, but when you give them a bill for delivering X functionality that they equate to Y revenue, it is a no brainer. This also lets you vary your rate as needed for whatever extra factors you might see.