Negotiate rate in the middle of the contract

[stek]

20 years ago it was 10%-30% each extension.

<sigh>

Without even asking!!

[SuperZ]

I'm sure one of my colleagues has just done this so it's not out of the question. Depends on how you approach it and the reasons.
To be fair however, you should consider everything up front. Ie, if the rate isn't enough for the duration of the contract then negotiate higher beforehand. It's a bit unfair to suddenly ask for more money during a contract and unprofessional. It's a bit like you having plumbing work done. You pick the cheapest of three quotes and they suddenly ask for more money before the job is done that makes them less competitively priced, ie if you had known up front you might have given the job to the next company.

[washed up contractor]

Sounds like the OP was reeled in with the line 'it's a long term contract so the rate is lower than you want.'

[perplexed]

Sounds like the OP was reeled in with the line 'it's a long term contract so the rate is lower than you want.'

I prefer the more accurate "you'll be paid less for longer"...

[Agent]

Love the long term lower rate option, I'm everyones a winner.

[gables]

20 years ago it was 10%-30% each extension.

<sigh>

They were the days, or was it daze

I'm sure one of my colleagues has just done this so it's not out of the question. Depends on how you approach it and the reasons.
To be fair however, you should consider everything up front. Ie, if the rate isn't enough for the duration of the contract then negotiate higher beforehand. It's a bit unfair to suddenly ask for more money during a contract and unprofessional. It's a bit like you having plumbing work done. You pick the cheapest of three quotes and they suddenly ask for more money before the job is done that makes them less competitively priced, ie if you had known up front you might have given the job to the next company.

It's not out of the question, I doubled my rate (it was lowish to start with) when I was extended after a year for a further 11 months. But it wasn't just for the same role, I could tell at the interview and subsequently early on in the contract that there was scope to deliver more so I took a punt. Basically, I was taken on for what was a subset of my skills\experience, I bided my time but also demonstrated there was more work than initially scoped. So at the year end I proposed a wider scoping role making use of my wider skills, proposed a new rate, they went for it - happy days.

But nowadays, quite rightly, you won't get a rate rise at extension time by default unless you're very niche I'd say. The market is over supplied at the moment in a lot of areas.