Expert research
Fractional CFO cost: monthly, day-rate and project pricing explained
What a fractional CFO costs, based on published US monthly prices and UK day rates, what drives the price up, and how to scope the work before you ask for quotes.
Firms that sell fractional CFO services publish prices from about $1,600 a month at the low end to $12,000 a month or more. Pilot's pricing guide puts the usual range at $3,000 to $12,000 a month and says the average for early- to mid-stage companies is $5,000 to $8,000. Burkland's price list starts at $1,600 a month. In the UK, FD Capital quotes day rates of £600 to £1,200.
Where you land in those ranges depends on how much work you ask for. The most useful thing you can do before requesting quotes is write down that work.
What published prices say
All of the figures below come from firms that sell the service. They are the sellers' own ranges, not an independent survey, and they were current when we checked them in September 2026.
| Firm | Pricing unit | Published figure |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot (US) | Per month | $3,000–$12,000; $5,000–$8,000 average for early- to mid-stage companies |
| Burkland (US) | Per month, starting price | Starter from $1,600, Core from $2,500, Advanced from $4,200; a typical engagement is about $19K–$50K a year |
| FD Capital (UK) | Per day | £600–£1,200, with most engagements at £700–£900 |
| FD Capital (UK) | Monthly retainer | £1,500–£3,000 for light board-level advisory work |
Burkland's figures are starting prices; it says the actual price depends on scope. Pilot says a pre-Series A startup may spend closer to $3,000 a month on light support, while a company preparing for a major round may spend $10,000 or more.
How firms charge
Monthly retainer. You agree on a set of recurring work, such as cash forecasting, monthly reporting and board materials, for a fixed monthly fee. This is how Pilot and Burkland present their pricing.
Day rate. Common in the UK. FD Capital describes the monthly cost as the day rate times the days per week. At its example rate of £700 a day, one day a week comes to £2,800–£3,000 a month and two days a week to £5,600–£6,100.
Project fee. A fixed price or day-rate estimate for a defined job, such as a fundraising model or a budget cycle. FD Capital says project engagements typically run four to twelve weeks and may cost 10–15% more per day than ongoing work.
What pushes the price up
Pilot lists five factors: the size and complexity of the business, how often you need support, the state of your bookkeeping, industry specialization and your finance tools. Messy books matter because the CFO has to spend paid time getting to a clean starting point before doing forward-looking work.
FD Capital adds seniority and sector experience. It says CFOs with specific sector experience typically charge 10–20% more than generalists, and that one-day-a-week engagements often cost 5–10% more per day than three-day-a-week ones, because staying up to date takes a fixed amount of time regardless of days booked.
Burkland also points out that some startups need a finance director for day-to-day structure rather than CFO-level strategy, at a lower price. If most of your list is closing the books on time, that may be the better hire.
Scope the work before you ask for quotes
A hypothetical example: a 15-person B2B software company plans to raise in about six months. An outside bookkeeper already closes the books each month. The founder lists what they want:
- A 13-week cash forecast, updated monthly.
- A monthly review of results against plan.
- A board pack each quarter.
- A financial model for the raise.
- Help preparing the data room and answering investor questions.
The first three are recurring. The last two are a project that ends when the round closes. Ask each firm to price them separately: a monthly retainer for the recurring work and a project fee or temporary increase for the raise. That lets you compare quotes line by line and step down to the smaller retainer after the round, rather than paying the peak price indefinitely.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What is included each month, and how many hours does the price assume?
- Who does the work: the named CFO, or an analyst on their team?
- What happens when a raise, audit or acquisition adds work? Is it included or billed extra?
- What is the minimum term and notice period? FD Capital describes an initial three-month period and one to three months' notice as typical in the UK; check the actual contract.
- Does the price assume your books are already clean and closed on time?
Check your scope with someone who has done the job
Before committing to a retainer, a short conversation with a finance leader who has prepared a raise at your stage can tell you which items on your list matter and which can wait. That call does not replace a CFO. It helps you write a tighter scope, so the quotes you collect are comparable.
You can browse finance professionals in enterprise SaaS or search for people with a description like "finance directors who prepared a Series A data room at a B2B software company." Instant Expert finds people whose experience matches, you review them, it sends your invitations and you pay for each call that gets booked. How to prepare for an expert interview covers what to bring to the call.