How often I have to update my progress working freelance?

Question

I am working right now with a C code for a client. I let her know that when I reach 50% of progress She will pay the first part. However I have now 80% solved because I want continue my work without report, I already took the first part of the payment.

I don't know. If I continue without informing my progress my clients will think that I am not doing anything, also months ago this situation happen to me I was informing daily my progress to my client and He said "You don't need to message every progress that you do" So I stop it doing that and then said "You are not informing you progress"

Someone who works with code or tech can write here: How it should be the best frequency to communicate progress to a client without bother her/him

Answer 1

This is something that the client has to answer, not us. It depends both on the client and the project.

For example, with one client, I was simply reporting each day what I did. That was voluntary but it helped the client know that I was doing something for the money I was charging.

With a different client, I'm working on a project on "spec" that they might need it. If I'm communicating once a month, that might be too much.

There is also a difference between 80% of the initial coding done and 80% of the project done. In my mind, to get a project to 80% done state, all the coding has to be done, the unit testing is finished, and the project is deep into integration testing. Too many developers give the impression to a client that once the coding is done, the project will be done. That is far from the truth. But that is why we see a lot of projects come here where the client claims that it is 80% done and can someone come in and finish it? They don't realize that they might be only 40% of the way through the project.