One of the first things people ask me when they get in touch is some version of "so what does this actually cost?" And fair enough. Hiring a consultant feels like buying a car without a price tag on the window. You know roughly what you want, you just have no idea what number is about to come out of someone's mouth.
So I'm going to be straight with you. Here is what Power BI consulting actually costs in the UK in 2026, based on what I charge and what I know the market looks like.
Day rates for freelance Power BI consultants
Most experienced freelance Power BI consultants in the UK are working somewhere between £400 and £750 per day. Where you land in that range depends on specialisation, location and track record. Someone with five years of public sector experience and a portfolio of delivered projects will be towards the top. Someone newer to freelancing, or working in a more generalist capacity, will sit lower.
My own day rate sits in that range too. I am not the cheapest option and I am not trying to be. I have spent years building dashboards across Trafford Council and Marks and Spencer, and I know what it takes to deliver something that actually gets used.
Fixed-fee project pricing
For a lot of clients, especially smaller organisations and schools, a day rate feels unpredictable. You do not know how many days something will take and that uncertainty is stressful. That is why I offer fixed project pricing for most work. Scope is agreed upfront - no surprises at the end.
| Engagement type | Typical range | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic & Health Check | £750 – £1,500 | Full environment audit, DAX & performance review, written recommendations, debrief call |
| Small project / targeted fix | £500 – £1,500 | Single dashboard or DAX restructure, scoped and delivered to spec |
| Medium project | £1,500 – £4,000 | Dashboard suite, data model rebuild, mapping or automation work |
| Larger transformation | £4,000+ | Multi-report architecture, governance, end-to-end delivery - quoted on scope |
| Monthly retainer | £450 – £1,500/mo | Ongoing fixes, enhancements, monthly review, priority response |
Monthly retainers
Some clients do not need a big one-off project. They just need someone they can call when something breaks, when the data changes, or when they want to add a new report. That is what my retainer is designed for - a retained expert without the overhead of a permanent hire.
Retainers start from £450 per month and scale based on how much monthly development time and advisory input you need. Most clients find this pays for itself quickly once they are not waiting days for fixes or spending internal resource on reports.
What about agencies?
If you go through a larger agency or consultancy firm, you will typically pay significantly more. You are paying for account managers, project managers, overhead and margin. The work itself might be done by someone at a similar experience level to me, but the cost passes through several layers first.
That is not always a bad thing. Agencies offer structure, contracts and sometimes faster resourcing. But for most small to medium organisations, particularly in the public sector, a direct relationship with an independent consultant delivers better value.
What drives the cost up or down?
- Data complexity - one clean data source is straightforward; five messy systems that need joining takes more time
- Governance requirements - Row-Level Security, workspace structure and documentation add scope
- Number of reports - a single dashboard versus a suite covering multiple departments
- Urgency - rushed timelines occasionally carry a premium
- Existing infrastructure - whether your data is already in a usable state or needs significant transformation first
The honest summary
Most straightforward projects land between £500 and £3,000. Complex, multi-department work or ongoing retainers are higher. I scope everything before committing to a number, so you will always know what you are agreeing to before any work starts.
If you want a straight answer on what your specific project might cost, the fastest way is a 30-minute call. No obligation, no sales pitch - just an honest conversation about what you need and what it would take to deliver it.
Ready to talk numbers?
Get in touch and I'll give you a straight answer on cost and timeline. No obligation, no sales pitch.
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