How branding agencies typically bill
Most branding engagements are billed in phases tied to the deliverable, with payment milestones at approval points rather than only at the start and end.
- Strategy & positioning: a fixed fee, usually the first phase and often billed on its own before design begins
- Identity design: billed per concept round, refined to one direction after feedback
- Guidelines: billed as its own deliverable, distinct from the identity design itself
Common invoice line items
Separating strategy, identity and guidelines on the invoice makes clear what each payment actually covered.
- Brand Strategy & Positioning — $5,000
- Logo & Identity Design (3 concepts) — $6,000
- Visual Identity System (color, type, imagery) — $4,000
- Brand Guidelines Document — $2,500
Payment milestones tied to approval, not just kickoff and delivery
Because branding work has a long revision-sensitive middle phase (concept selection, refinement), tying a payment milestone to concept approval — not just kickoff and final delivery — protects an agency from carrying all the financial risk through a long client review cycle.
What clients assume is included
Business cards, letterhead, social templates and a website are commonly assumed to be part of "branding" by clients who haven't scoped a project before. State explicitly what's included and what's a separately-quoted add-on, both in the proposal and again in the invoice's line items.
Frequently asked questions
How many logo concepts should a branding invoice reflect?
2-4 initial directions is typical, refined to one after client feedback. State the number on the invoice or proposal — "concepts" without a count invites requests for more options than were scoped.
Should brand guidelines be billed separately from identity design?
Yes — guidelines involve distinct documentation work (usage rules, do's and don'ts) beyond the identity itself, and billing them separately makes clear they're a real deliverable, not an automatic afterthought.
What's commonly missing from a branding agency's scope that clients expect?
Business cards, letterhead, social media templates and website design are frequently assumed to be included. State explicitly what's in scope and offer the rest as separately-priced add-ons.