The message landed on a slow Sunday morning, the kind I usually spend at the kitchen counter with a mug of tea and no particular plan. This one came from a reader who runs a sewing business out of her home, and it had been sitting in her inbox, waiting for someone to say it out loud.
“I don’t have a shopfront. I don’t clock in and out. I just sew in my own space, around my own schedule. And because of that, people assume I’m endlessly flexible.”
She’s the kind of maker I’ve always admired. No storefront, no fixed hours, no one watching the clock. She sews when she can, in her own space, on her own schedule. That’s the freedom everyone says they want.
The catch? When someone needs something urgently, they’ll ask if she can “just squeeze it in.” They’ll message late at night. They’ll explain how important the deadline is to them.
So she started charging a rush fee. And that’s when the pushback began.
“But you’re already home.”
“It shouldn’t cost more if you’re not travelling anywhere.”
“Can’t you just do it this once?”
A few people have acted genuinely offended, like she’s being greedy or unreasonable. Now she’s second-guessing herself.
Am I the asshole for charging extra for rush orders, even though I work from home?
If you’ve ever felt awkward adding a rush fee — or tempted to waive it just to avoid the tension — you’re not alone. This question cuts right to the heart of how creative, home-based work is still misunderstood.
Why “Working From Home” Changes How People Treat You
There’s a strange assumption that if you work from home, your time is somehow more flexible — or less valuable.
People often think:
- You’re already there
- You can just reshuffle things
- You’re not “really” inconvenienced
What they don’t see is that home-based work still has schedules, commitments, limits, and personal time.
Being at home doesn’t mean being on call.
I know that sentence well. As a former registered dietitian who ran her practice out of a small office, and now out of a blog from the same kitchen table, I’ve been told plenty of times that I “have it easy” because I can just “do it whenever.” I used to think my boundaries had to be flexible enough to absorb everyone else’s schedule. Now I know that flexibility, when it’s one-directional, is just a slower version of burnout.
What a Rush Order Actually Costs You
A rush order isn’t just about sewing faster.
It often means:
- Dropping other work
- Rearranging personal plans
- Sewing late into the evening
- Working under pressure
- Carrying someone else’s urgency
That urgency has a cost — even if it doesn’t show up on a receipt.
Think about the last time you took on an extra task because someone seemed stressed. You didn’t count the cost. You just did it. Now multiply that by a few weeks, and you have a recipe for a maker who’s quietly carrying everyone else’s timeline.
“But It’s Just One Item…”
This phrase is another familiar one. A rush order is rarely just one item. It’s the mental load that comes with:
- Watching the clock
- Worrying about deadlines
- Rushing decisions
- Feeling responsible for someone else’s timing mistake
That pressure deserves compensation — not guilt.
I used to think that if I charged for my time, I was being difficult. Now I think of it as a boundary with a price tag. It tells the customer: this is possible, but it costs more because it costs me more.
Why Rush Fees Feel Uncomfortable to Charge
Many makers hesitate to add rush fees because they don’t want to seem difficult, they fear losing the sale, or they worry about appearing greedy.
But a rush fee isn’t a punishment. It’s a boundary.
And here’s the double standard that still puzzles me: rush fees are widely accepted in other industries. People expect to pay more for express shipping, same-day services, last-minute bookings. But when it comes to handmade or creative work, that logic often disappears — especially when the work happens at home.
That double standard puts unnecessary pressure on makers. I’ve been there. I’d rather be the one who “just does it” than the one who has to justify why her time matters.
When Waiving Rush Fees Backfires
Many sellers learn this the hard way. When you don’t charge extra for urgency:
- Rush orders become expected
- Boundaries blur quickly
- Stress increases
- Resentment builds
What starts as flexibility can quietly turn into burnout.
For a long time, I thought ‘flexible’ was a compliment. Now I know it’s a warning sign. If your schedule bends every time someone else needs something, it’s not flexibility. It’s erosion.
So… Are They the Asshole?
There’s no universal answer here.
Some readers will say, “A rush fee is completely reasonable.” Others might argue, “If you can do it, why charge more?” And a few will admit, “I never thought about the impact of urgency.”
All of those perspectives exist — and they’re worth hearing.
But there’s an important question underneath it all: Should working from home mean giving up control over your time?
For many makers, the answer is a firm no.
A Small, Sustainable Shift
If you’re a home-based maker and rush fees feel uncomfortable, here’s a gentle way to practice the boundary without the guilt:
- Name the fee before the deadline is mentioned. “I can turn this around by Friday, but I do charge a rush fee for that timeline.”
- Keep the fee separate from your base price. Don’t fold it in. Let it stand on its own as a clear choice.
- Give yourself one ‘no’ per week. A small, deliberate boundary that keeps your schedule honest.
That’s the 80/20 version of a boundary. It doesn’t require a policy document. It just requires you to decide, once, that your time has a price.
FAQ
Is a rush fee the same as a service charge?
Not quite. A service charge is usually a percentage of the total, built into the base price. A rush fee is a one-time addition that applies only when the timeline is compressed. Think of it as paying for speed, not for the work itself.
How do I know if my rush fee is reasonable?
There’s no universal number. What matters is that the fee reflects the real cost of your time — the dropped work, the rearranged plans, the pressure. If you’re not sure, start with what feels honest, and adjust as you learn.
What if a customer pushes back?
Stay calm. You don’t owe a defense. “I’m glad the rush option is available. It does come with a fee because it requires me to rearrange other work.” Most customers either accept it or choose the standard timeline. Both are fine.
Over to You
Now it’s your turn — and this one tends to spark strong opinions.
Do you charge rush fees? Have you ever felt guilty enforcing them? As a buyer, would you expect to pay more for urgency? Or do you think rush fees are unnecessary?
Tell me in the comments — this is one of those topics where lived experience really matters.
a note from Hazel
I still get a little nervous when I charge for something I could “just do.” But every time I waive the fee to avoid the tension, I’m borrowing from my own schedule. And I’m done with the interest. 80/20 is enough.