Many designers offer free consultations, but when do they become unpaid work? I ran a poll with 300+ designers to explore if and when charging for consultations makes sense.
A few months ago, I started noticing a pattern.
People would reach out—either through my LinkedIn profile or after seeing my Webflow templates—wanting to chat about a potential project. Some were considering hiring me for design and development, while others just wanted to get my thoughts on their website or ask for advice.
At first, I was happy to take these calls. As a freelancer, I was balancing client work and building my template business, so I was eager to connect with potential clients. If a short call helped me land a project, why not?
But then the requests got bigger.
A quick chat turned into detailed project discussions. Some leads wanted me to review documents, analyze their site, or provide recommendations before committing to anything. There were even cases where multiple follow-up calls happened—all without a contract in place. Some of these conversations turned into real work and paying clients. Others? They disappeared after taking notes.
That’s when I started wondering: Should designers be charging for consultations? If so, when does a free call cross the line into unpaid work? I knew I wasn’t the only one thinking about this, so I ran a LinkedIn poll to see where other designers stood. The results were interesting.
To see how other designers handle this, I ran a LinkedIn poll asking whether they charge for consultations. I also talked to other designers in my network to hear their thoughts. Here’s what 300+ designers had to say:
This means that the majority of designers are offering free consultations, while a smaller group has set clear boundaries or treats them as a paid service. The results didn’t surprise me. Many designers—especially freelancers—see free consultations as a normal part of client acquisition. We want to be helpful, build relationships, and make it easier for potential clients to trust us.
But looking at my own experience, I couldn’t help but wonder:
Are free consultations actually helping designers land more work Or are they leading to more unpaid labor than we realize?
That led me to the next question.
Many designers assume that offering free consultations is just part of the process. Freelancers and agencies alike have been doing it for so long that it feels like a necessary step to winning clients. The idea of charging for an initial conversation still feels foreign to many.
A common worry is that charging for a consultation will drive clients away. Many believe that if a prospect has to pay just to explore a project, they’ll take their business elsewhere—perhaps to another designer who offers free calls.
This leads to a mindset of “If I don’t offer free consultations, I might lose work”, which makes designers hesitant to set boundaries.
Designers are problem-solvers at heart. Many genuinely want to help people, especially those who aren’t sure what they need or who lack technical knowledge about web design. A quick call to guide them feels like the right thing to do.
I fall into this category myself—not because I want to work for free, but because I genuinely want to help people who don’t understand what they need from web design or what web design even entails. Taking the time to educate potential clients often leads to better projects and more lasting relationships down the road.
But when these calls turn into detailed strategy discussions, unpaid brainstorming, or multiple follow-ups, the line between “helpful” and unpaid work starts to blur.
Free consultations might seem harmless—just a quick chat, right? But over time, they add up in ways many designers don’t account for.
A 30-minute call might not seem like much, but when you factor in:
✅ Prepping for the call (reading emails, reviewing notes)
✅ The actual conversation
✅ Follow-ups (summarizing points, sending resources, answering extra questions)
…it’s rarely just 30 minutes. Multiply that by several inquiries a month, and suddenly, you’re spending hours on unpaid work.
Every free call is time not spent on paid projects, refining skills, or marketing your business. While some consultations may lead to work, many don’t—making it essential to weigh the actual value of offering them for free.
When you look at it this way, “Free calls” aren’t really free, are they?
As one person on the poll commented:“I have 20 years of experience and I make a living from this, I can't give free advice without receiving some kind of compensation in return.”
When a consultation goes beyond a simple intro and turns into real problem-solving, you’re essentially giving away what clients should be paying for. Reviewing documents, analyzing websites, suggesting solutions—these are billable services in any other profession.
Imagine hiring a lawyer for legal advice. Would they review your case for free before deciding whether to take you on as a client? Probably not.
We don’t want to think people are capable of malice, but unfortunately, designers get hoodwinked all the time.
Many have shared online (and even in the comments of my LinkedIn post) that they’ve had clients take their ideas, suggestions, and even design mockups—only to execute them elsewhere without hiring or crediting them.
One designer even recounted being scammed by a company that used screenshots he shared during a consultation to proceed with their project—without ever engaging him.
This happens more often than we’d like to admit, and when there’s no contract or agreement in place, there’s little recourse.
Every consultation requires shifting gears, actively listening, and engaging in problem-solving. It’s not just time-consuming—it’s mentally draining. When too many free consultations stack up, it takes focus away from actual client work and business growth.
Not every free consultation is a bad idea. Sometimes, a quick chat helps build trust and clarify project details, leading to a smooth collaboration. But at what point does a free call cross the line into unpaid work? Here are some clear red flags:
A consultation should be about understanding whether the project is a good fit—not analyzing briefs, reviewing existing designs, or suggesting solutions before being hired. If a client expects you to evaluate their materials, provide direction, or solve problems upfront, they’re already getting the value of your expertise without paying for it.
One quick call? Fine. But if a potential client keeps requesting "just one more chat" or wants you on multiple calls before signing a contract, that’s a red flag.
Some clients unconsciously take advantage of free access to your expertise, while others might be gathering ideas to execute on their own. Either way, your time is valuable, and endless unpaid calls aren’t sustainable.
If the conversation shifts from “Is this a good fit?” to “Here’s exactly what you should do”, the client is no longer just exploring—they’re getting free consulting. Some businesses actively take advantage of this. They hop on free calls with multiple designers, collect enough insights to refine their project, then go execute it themselves or hire a cheaper freelancer.
As another person on my Linkedin poll commented “I do not give away my ideas, have done so too many times in the past only for the potential client move on and use my ideas.”
Some clients ask for a call without mentioning budget, timeline, or project scope—which often means they aren’t serious about hiring yet. While not every client who inquires is a “tire kicker,” the lack of clear details can signal that they’re still shopping around or just looking for free insights.
Before agreeing to a call, ask key qualifying questions. If they hesitate on these, the call may not be worth your time.
If free consultations often lead to unpaid work, lost time, and even stolen ideas, then when should designers start charging for them—and how? Here are a few effective ways I think can help designers handle consultations better:
Some designers don’t charge but keep consultations strictly limited to a short introductory call.
✔ Time-capped: 15–30 minutes max
✔ Strictly discovery-focused: No document reviews, no deep strategy discussions
✔ One call per lead: No multiple follow-ups unless there’s a contract
This approach works well if:
One designer from the poll shared a great way to implement this approach: They set up Calendly with restricted time slots to make the consultation feel official and limited, creating a sense of scarcity. Having a structured system in place made it easier to follow a qualification script and enforce a clear cut-off time. This way, they stayed in control of the conversation—ensuring that prospects couldn’t hijack their time. By asking key questions about authority, budget, timeline, and need/value upfront, they could quickly determine whether the client was a good fit or needed to be screened out.
Another common approach is offering paid strategy sessions instead of free consultations.
✔ Position the call as a high-value service
✔ Clients walk away with actionable insights
✔ The cost is credited toward the project if they hire you
This approach works well if:
If you still don't feel comfortable charging leads up front for consultations, at least be sure to account for your time spent on those calls if or when they do convert, and become clients. You can do this by factoring consultation time into your project pricing.
✔ No standalone consultation fee—but you’re still getting paid for your time
✔ Allows for deep discussions with committed clients
✔ Creates a seamless experience without nickel-and-diming
This approach works well if:
There’s no wrong answer here—just different strategies depending on your clients, business model, and goals.
The key is to stop treating consultations as an afterthought and instead factor them into your process intentionally.
