Retainer economics
Retainer profitability tracker
Review monthly fees, included hours, delivery time and direct costs in a formula-tested XLSX workbook. No signup is required.
Download the retainer profitability tracker. No account is required.
Review the same service period
Use one row for each active retainer and align the monthly fee, included hours, actual hours, hourly delivery cost and direct costs to the same month.
- Monthly fee and included hours
- Actual hours and delivery cost
- Profit and margin
- Hours variance and revenue per used hour
Act on hours and margin together
Hours over plan may indicate scope or delivery variance. Confirm the time record and direct costs before renewing, repricing or changing scope.
Filled fictional retainer review
The workbook opens with four fictional monthly retainers. Replace the yellow inputs with the fee and delivery records for the same service month.
| Client | Monthly fee | Included hours | Hours used | Profit | Hours under / (over) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northstar Studio | $4,800.00 | 45 | 39 | $2,688.00 | 6 |
| Harbor Consulting | $3,200.00 | 30 | 34 | $1,510.00 | (4) |
| Juniper Works | $2,800.00 | 28 | 36 | $970.00 | (8) |
Template content and formulas reviewed 2026-10-30.