~2 min read
Accurately quoting freelance projects is part math, part risk management. Underquote and you work unpaid hours. Overquote without justification and you lose the work. This calculator starts with what you know — your rate, your estimated hours, and a contingency buffer — and produces a quote you can hand directly to a client.
The two-part formula
Base estimate = Hourly rate × Estimated hours Total quote = Base estimate × (1 + Contingency %)
The contingency is not padding or dishonesty — it's a risk buffer that accounts for the inevitable: unclear requirements, scope creep, revision rounds, and the time required for project management overhead that you didn't explicitly estimate.
What contingency percentage to use
| Project type | Recommended contingency |
|---|---|
| Clear spec, familiar work | 10–15% |
| Standard project, some unknowns | 20–25% |
| New domain, unclear requirements | 30–40% |
| R&D / discovery phases | 50%+ |
Studies of software projects show 50–80% overrun rates on original estimates. A 20% contingency buffer is not aggressive — it's conservative. Clients who push back on contingency are telling you they expect scope changes and won't pay for them.
Fixed price vs time-and-materials
This calculator produces a fixed-price quote. Alternatives: - Time-and-materials (T&M): you bill actual hours at your rate. Lower risk for you, higher perceived risk for the client. Works best for ongoing or open-ended work. - Value-based pricing: price to the client's perceived value rather than your hours. More complex to position, but removes the ceiling on your earnings.
Frequently asked questions
Should I show the breakdown or just the total? For most clients, show only the total. Breaking down hourly rate × hours invites negotiation on each component and makes clients compare your hourly rate to market. The total is all they need to make a buying decision.
How do I handle out-of-scope requests? Add a scope clause to your contract: any work outside the defined deliverables is quoted separately. Reference this clause calmly when scope creep arrives — "Happy to do that; I'll send a quick quote for the extra work" — rather than absorbing it silently.