Two Hour Minimum

It is standard throughout the ASL interpreting industry for agencies and interpreters to charge a 2-hour minimum. Some agencies may refer to this as a minimum service fee, while others may offer alternative approaches like waiving the 2-hour minimum but charging extra for the first hour. These measures all serve the same purpose: ensuring that interpreter requests are viable for the professionals. Without these standards, it would be challenging to find interpreters willing to accept assignments.

Freelance sign language interpreters typically have a different schedule each day of the week. In one day, an interpreter may accept 3 short requests all at different locations. Each assignment requires interpreters to budget time for tasks such as finding nearby parking, navigating building security protocols, locating the designated room, organizing a suitable seating arrangement for clear visibility, and more. Additionally, interpreters invest considerable effort in non-billable tasks like preparing invoices and managing their schedules. This effort is offset by accepting assignments that are at least 2 hours in duration, or longer.

Another industry standard is to hire interpreters for the entire time they need to be on-site. For example, if you have a performance that you want to be interpreted from 10am-12pm, but you want the interpreters to be there at 9am in order to go through registration, security clearance, stage setup, and lighting adjustments, you should reserve their services from 9am-12pm to ensure sufficient time for these essential tasks.

We are committed to providing exceptional service to our clients and offer complimentary consultations to guide you through this process. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about requesting interpreters for your next event. We look forward to hearing from you soon!