Should I do it at cost instead of free?

Often cleaner. Covering materials means the gift is your labour, which is easier to define, easier to cap and easier for them to accept.

Can I claim it against tax?

That depends entirely on jurisdiction and structure, and donated services are treated differently from donated goods in many places. Ask your accountant rather than assuming.

What if the work goes wrong?

You are usually just as liable as on paid work. Insurance, permits and standards all still apply — free does not mean informal.

← Answers

Should I do free work for my church or a charity?

Give deliberately or charge properly — the trouble comes from the middle, where nobody said what it was. Decide in advance what you are donating, put it in writing as a quote at zero or reduced cost, and treat it with the same scheduling and standards as paid work.

Write it down even when it is free

A scope, a price, and what is being donated. It sounds excessive for a favour, and it is the thing that prevents the favour turning into six months of unpaid extras with a strained relationship at the end.

Free work still costs somebody

Materials, your crew's wages, and the paid work you did not take that week. That is fine if you chose it. It stops being fine when it is quietly funded by paying yourself less or by staff working a Saturday.

Cap it before you start

Decide how many hours or how much material, and say so at the beginning. "Whatever it takes" for an unpriced job is where resentment comes from — and resentment about a gift is worse than not having given it.

Scope creep is harder to refuse here

People ask for more precisely because it is free, and saying no feels ungracious. A written scope makes that a reference to a document rather than a refusal of a person, which is much easier for everyone.

Also asked

Should I do it at cost instead of free?: Often cleaner. Covering materials means the gift is your labour, which is easier to define, easier to cap and easier for them to accept.
Can I claim it against tax?: That depends entirely on jurisdiction and structure, and donated services are treated differently from donated goods in many places. Ask your accountant rather than assuming.
What if the work goes wrong?: You are usually just as liable as on paid work. Insurance, permits and standards all still apply — free does not mean informal.

Written for your trade

This is the kind of thing Solomon works through with owners using their own numbers. See how it works →