HR consulting cost depends on the work you need: one document, a defined project, or recurring leadership support. At Holt Workforce Strategies, individual policy review starts at $250, a workforce assessment is $1,500, and fractional HR support starts at $2,000 per month. These are Holt’s published prices, not an industry-wide average.
Agree on documents, review rounds, and rollout work.
Establish findings and priorities before implementation.
Define ongoing capacity, access, and leadership responsibilities.
Read the lanes as a planning framework; confirm the owners and requirements for your organization.
What are you buying: a project or ongoing support?
A project fee buys agreed deliverables, such as an updated handbook, a hiring workflow, or a written assessment. Monthly support reserves a defined level of recurring guidance and leadership capacity. Compare proposals by responsibilities, included work, access, and follow-through rather than the headline price alone.
For example, a handbook project does not automatically include manager training, continuing legal updates, or unlimited employee-relations advice. A monthly advisory engagement does not automatically include a complete HR department build-out. Ask what happens when your needs exceed the agreed scope.
Examples of Holt’s HR consulting fees
| Service | Published fee | Typical purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Individual policy review | From $250 per policy | Revise one existing policy |
| Custom policy development | From $350 per policy | Create one new policy |
| Handbook audit and update | $850–$1,500 | Review and revise an existing document |
| New handbook development | $2,500–$4,500 | Build a customized employee reference |
| Workforce assessment | $1,500 | Identify gaps and prioritize improvements |
| Fractional HR Advisor | $2,000/month | Recurring guidance within a defined scope |
| Fractional HR Manager | $3,500/month | Broader recurring operational support |
| Fractional HR Director | $5,000–$7,500/month | Workforce leadership and project oversight |
Prices are starting points or anticipated ranges. Final fees, document quantities, revision rounds, meetings, timing, and responsibilities are confirmed in writing. Legal review and third-party software or vendor fees are separate.
What makes an HR project cost more?
Employee count matters, but complexity often matters more. Thirty employees in one office may require a different project from thirty employees across several locations and work schedules. Multi-state employment, inconsistent source documents, unresolved benefit decisions, or extensive implementation needs can increase the work.
Urgency also affects capacity. Before requesting a rush deadline, identify the decision-maker, locate current materials, and agree on who can approve changes. A clear review process helps prevent repeated drafting around decisions that leadership has not made.
Choose the smallest scope that solves the actual problem
Consider a hypothetical 40-person business with an otherwise usable handbook and one missing call-in policy. An individual policy project may be sufficient. If every supervisor handles absences differently and nobody owns coverage, the business may need a connected attendance process. If records, onboarding, and manager practices are all uncertain, an assessment may be a better first investment.
The $1,500 assessment identifies priorities; it does not include every improvement it recommends. Focused projects are available without an assessment when the need is clear.
Questions to ask before accepting a quote
- What exact documents, meetings, and implementation activities are included?
- Who supplies information and who approves decisions?
- How many revisions, roles, locations, or records are covered?
- What support capacity and response expectations apply?
- How are additional requests and schedule changes priced?
Holt is based in Wichita, Kansas, with remote consulting available. Use the services and pricing catalog to identify a starting point, then request a scope matched to your business.
What should your total project budget include?
Compare the full engagement cost, including internal review time, optional training, legal review, travel if applicable, and third-party subscriptions. A consultant’s fee is only one part of implementation. Ask which costs are included, estimated separately, or paid directly to another provider.
Illustrative planning example: a $1,500 assessment plus a later handbook update quoted at $1,000 would be $2,500 in consulting fees if both are separately commissioned. The assessment is a diagnostic engagement; do not assume its fee is credited to later work unless the proposal expressly says so.
Before approving work, confirm the deposit, balance timing, cancellation or rescheduling terms, and change-request process. For Holt’s assessment, $750 reserves the engagement and $750 is due before final roadmap delivery. Other projects use the billing terms in their written proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire an HR consultant for just one policy?
Yes. Holt offers individual policy development and review. A complete handbook or monthly engagement is not required for every project.
Is monthly fractional HR the same as unlimited HR support?
No. The agreement should define capacity, access, deliverables, and exclusions so both parties know what the monthly fee covers.
A practical next step
Choose the HR engagement that fits the problem
Start with a focused project when the output is clear, an assessment when priorities need investigation, or fractional HR when recurring leadership is needed.
Holt confirms deliverables, responsibilities, timing, and fees in writing. The introductory conversation is free; detailed review and consulting work are separately scoped.
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