Rates

2025 Vital Hourly Rates

Retail rates and discounted blended rates are subject to change yearly on or after Jan. 1 of the upcoming year-end.

$165/hr. Sr. Strategist & Team Lead (from DM, Web, Brand, PPC & Paid Social, SEO, CRO, UX/UI Design, Content, Video, etc.)
$145/hr. Strategist
$165/hr. Back-end Development (eCommerce, Database, Applications & Integrations)
$145/hr. Front-end Development
$145/hr. UX/UI Design & Graphic Design
$145/hr. Account & Project Management
$145/hr. Content & Copywriting (Brand & Style, Long-Form & Short-Form)
$145/hr. Specialist: SEO, CRO, Link Building & Paid Search Specialist
$145/hr. Photo & Video
$125/hr. Web Admin., Marketing Coordinator & Marketing Associate

Discounted Blended Rates for Retainers & Non-Profits

Retainer Rate – $145/hr. (Discounted Blended Rate) for Retainer Clients – DM, P&U, and SEO, 16+ hours/month min.
Non-Profit Rate – $140/hr. (Discounted Blended Rate)

Emergency Support Rates

Emergency Support Retainer Rate – $175/hr. (Discounted Blended Rate) for Retainer Clients – DM, P&U, Maintenance and SEO, 16+ hours/month min.
Emergency Support Rate – $195/hr. (Discounted Blended Rate)

Paid Search & Social Management Rates 

< $4,999: $950 management fee (7 hrs/month)
$5,000 – $9,999: 17.5% of advertising spend
$10,000 – $19,999: 15% of advertising spend
$20,000 – $29,999: 12.5% of advertising spend
$30,000 – $99,999: 10% of advertising spend
$100,000 – $499,999: $10,000+ (Custom Retainers Available for Management)
$500,000 – $1mm+: $25,000+ (Custom Retainers Available for Management)

Terms & Conditions

ADDITIONAL COSTS TO CONSIDER

Clients may need to consider additional costs associated with their projects such as: travel, printing, shipping, plugins, hosting & file storage, stock photography/video, talent, or any other hard costs. When required, these items will be communicated to you by your Account Manager and once agreed upon, will be billed separately.

ADDITIONAL BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

Project Management & Productivity Software

Vital’s process utilizes project management and productivity software (Ex. Teamwork, Google WorkSpace, Jira, etc.) to provide client services. Our systems, tools, and processes are in place to optimize client experience and maximize efficiency. The scope of our contracts are based on the use of these processes and tools. Should the client require different methods of delivery (ie. tools or process), it will likely have an adverse impact on scope, budget, and timeline. 

Integration of Software

With all integrations, base functionality will be assumed if and where possible. If values or logic is necessary for setup, we will ask the client, otherwise base functionality and logic should be assumed in scope. If an elevated level is needed, Client will be made aware and will determine how to proceed based on a cost estimate.

Vital Hourly Rates & Pricing

Hourly rates and discounted blended hourly rates are subject to change yearly on or after January 1st of the upcoming year-end. Any project outside of a retainer is billed at the most current retail rates.

Emergency Support

Vital’s standard support hours are between 8:00am – 6:00pm ET, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Clients can request emergency support work or deployments outside of normal business hours. Before any work is done, it will be communicated to you by your Account Manager and approval by the client will be requested. Emergency Support Services outside of Business Hours are subject to our Emergency Hourly Rates. Retained hours cannot be applied to emergency support.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Interest rate for late payment is 2% monthly / 24% annually. Due upon receipt, we begin the collection process within 15 days and will begin to apply late fees after 30 days.

• If this account or any bill thereunder is placed in the hands of an attorney for collection, client promises to pay Vital Design’s reasonable collection costs, including reasonable attorney’s fees, even though no legal proceeding is filed on client’s account. However, if a legal proceeding is filed for the purpose of interpreting or enforcing payment of client’s account, Vital Design shall be entitled to recover a reasonable attorney’s fee in such proceeding, or any appeal thereof, to be set by the court without the necessity of hearing testimony or receiving evidence, in addition to the costs and disbursements allowed by law.

• If client does not respond to Vital Design’s communications (email, written, or phone messages) for more than seven (7) business days, Vital Design reserves the right to invoice the client for work completed to date.

• If a bill goes unpaid for more than 60 days and a client is unresponsive and/or makes no attempt to submit payment, the retainer is automatically cancelled. The client will be responsible for all balances up through the end of the cancellation month.
• If a client cancels a project that has a deposit made,  the “returned” hours will come in the form of an account credit that can be used for future projects/bills. Cash is not returned. We’ve hired people to do the work, we’re staffed up to do the work, and we have secured time in the production schedule.

Client will:

• Provide any required text for project electronically.

• Provide desired images unless Vital Design has been contracted to retrieve images.

• Designate one person to be the point of contact for this project. All communications will be through this point of contact including but not limited to, approvals, reviews, changes, modifications, redesign and upgrades. This person will have final say, as a company representative, and will be responsible for all decisions. It is understood that this is a joint project and both parties will contribute time and energies towards its completion. Upon signing, please designate all parties who will act on your behalf, as company representative & deciding party.

Marketing

Unless otherwise specified by client or Vital Design, or restricted through an existing Non-Disclosure Agreement or Confidentiality Agreement between parties, Vital Design and client reserve the right to publicize their business relationship, project overview, or project results, in a manner and fashion considered positive to each party. Such publication shall be limited to press releases, industry news releases, and normal marketing collateral materials in printed or electronic format.

Client Logo

Client grants Vital Design permission to publish its logo and the client company name on Vital Design collateral materials for both printed and onscreen public viewing for the express purposes of marketing its development and consultant services to potential customers only.

Delivery Schedule

Delivery of all project tasks is based on schedule availability. Specific timing cannot be guaranteed.

Legal

This proposal, together with all of the exhibits referenced herein, contain all of the agreements, understandings, representations, conditions, warranties and covenants made between the parties hereto. Unless set forth herein, neither party shall be liable for any other representations made. In the event that disputes arise that cannot be resolved amicably, both parties agree to submit to a process of arbitration.

Dispute Resolution & Arbitration Process

The parties shall make every effort to resolve disputes under this contract amicably.  If at any time during the term of this Agreement any dispute, difference or disagreement shall arise upon or in respect of the Agreement and shall not so be resolved, then such dispute, difference and disagreement shall be referred to a single arbiter agreed upon by the parties, or if no single arbiter can be agreed upon, an arbiter or arbiters shall be selected in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association and such dispute, difference or disagreement shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the then prevailing commercial rules of the American Arbitration Association, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbiter may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. In that regard, Client hereby consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of the State of New Hampshire and the federal court therein.

Copyright

It is understood that the work created by Vital Design pursuant to this Agreement shall ultimately be deemed “work made for hire.” However, until final payment is made, Vital Design shall retain all right, title and interest in said work, including any design, photography and all other intellectual property rights related thereto. Upon final payment, Vital Design shall fully assign and set over Client all of the right, title and interest in the work so that Client shall become the full owner thereof.

Project Cancellation

In the event that the client cancels project before completion, Vital Design shall deem the project completed and will invoice for the outstanding effort, time, and expenses up to the point of cancellation. If the work completed at the time of cancellation does not exceed the deposit made, the client will be credited for time not yet spent. This effort will be calculated as the actual time spent on the project up to the point of cancellation and will be calculated using the hourly rates agreed as part of the original quotation.

Video & Photoshoot Cancellation: 

A seven (7) day cancellation notice is required for all in-person video and photography shoots (a “shoot”). In the event the client cancels a shoot with less than a seven (7) day notice from the scheduled shoot date, Vital reserves the right to charge client for up to 50% of the shoot cost, PLUS up to 100% for any preparation time, materials and/or expenses directly tied to the shoot that cannot be re-used or reimbursed. Cancellations made up to seven (7) days before an in-person video or photography shoot will be processed without a penalty, unless there are any preparation time, food, travel, materials or other expenses incurred that are directly tied to the shoot and cannot be re-used or reimbursed.

Cancellation of Significant Meetings: 

A meeting of two (2) hours or more, and consisting of more than one (1) Vital employee is defined as a “significant meeting” (for example a Kick-Off Meeting, a Brainstorming Meeting, a Planning or Strategy Day). In the event the client cancels a significant meeting with less than a seven (7) day notice from the scheduled meeting date, Vital reserves the right to charge client for up to 50% of the meeting cost, PLUS up to 100% of any preparation time, food, travel, materials or other expenses incurred that are directly tied to the significant meeting and cannot be re-used or reimbursed. Cancellations made up to seven (7) days before a significant scheduled in-person/virtual meeting will be processed without a penalty, unless there are any preparation time, food, travel, materials or other expenses incurred that are directly tied to the significant meeting and cannot be re-used or reimbursed.

Retainer Cancellation

Any project where payment is based on a monthly schedule and not a milestone schedule is considered a “retainer.” Client can cancel this retainer with 60 days’ notice from the beginning of any calendar month. Two full months’ notice from the 1st of a calendar month is needed to cancel this contract. Therefore, the most notice needed is 90 days and the least notice needed is 60 days. For example, if notice were given on the 15th, this would require approximately 75 days, if notice were given on the 5th this would require approximately 85 days, if notice were given on the 30th, this would require approximately 60 days. Retainer cancellation, if given verbally or via email, requires a reply email confirming acknowledgement of cancellation. Cancellation via certified mail will also be accepted, mail to Vital, 155 Fleet St. Portsmouth, NH 03801.

Retainers Overages

In Vital retainers, excess hours will carry over to future months, unless hours delivered, in any month or in total, exceed the retainer by more than 20%. In which case a separate invoice will be sent for the overage and is due upon receipt.

Hours Changes / Cancellations

Either party may request changes to the scope of hours outlined in the retainer agreement. Any such changes, including increasing or decreasing hours, must be submitted in writing and will require a 30-day notice from the beginning of a calendar month. Adjustments will only take effect after the 30-day period and mutual agreement on the revised terms. This clause does not supersede or alter the cancellation policy, which governs termination of the agreement.

If changes to hours go below our minimum retainer requirement of twenty (20) hours for a P&U or forty (40) hours for DMR, the notice will be considered a retainer cancellation and additional notice is needed (see retainer termination language in the Terms and Conditions below). If a contract is terminated with hours in the bank, we will honor the unused hours for up to one (1) year after termination. 

Retainer Cancellation by Vital

Vital reserves the right to cancel this retainer agreement at its sole discretion if any of the following conditions are met:

• Client-Driven Changes: If the client, through their actions or requests, significantly alters the scope, nature, or direction of the services provided under this retainer agreement in a manner that substantially impacts Vital’s ability to deliver the agreed-upon services. Budget reduction also constitutes a client-driven change.
• Client Behavior: If the client engages in behavior that is disruptive, abusive, harassing, or otherwise detrimental to the working relationship, the provision of services, or the well-being of Vital staff.
• In the event of cancellation by Vital, the client will be provided with a written notice of termination.
• Upon termination, Vital commits to providing the client with a transitional period of 30 calendar days, during which reasonable efforts will be made to assist the client in transitioning the services to an alternative provider or ensuring the continuity of essential services.
• If Vital cancels the retainer agreement as it stands, Vital may offer the client a new retainer contract to replace the current retainer contract that is being canceled. The terms and conditions of the new retainer contract will be agreed upon by both parties. Signing of the new retainer agreement is effectively a cancellation of the previous retainer agreement.

Stalled Projects

When a project stalls, it can lead to resource wastage, delayed timelines, and increased project management efforts. Once a project is no longer gaining momentum for three (3) weeks in a row (client becomes unresponsive to moving project forward), Vital reserves the right to charge client for any incurred Project Management Time to date. Clients will continue to be charged weekly for any incurred Project Management Time to keep the project active in our production schedule.

Proposal/Estimate Expiration

This estimate is valid for 30 days, after which time Vital Design reserves the right to re-estimate the project as needed.

File Storage & Delivery

Vital will store files up to one (1) year after completion of project or cancellation of retainer. After one year is up, Vital cannot guarantee that files are stored and can be provided. When a project is complete or retainer is canceled, Vital can deliver any and all requested files to the client upon final payment. File delivery will be initiated with a written request from the client. Vital will handle transferring and sending files. The client is responsible for: purchasing necessary hard drives, shipping costs, and hours used towards production and management time to compile, organize, and share files (subject to current hourly rates). Files will be delivered within 30 days of written request.