Freelance Project Quote Calculator

Build a project quote from estimated hours, your hourly rate, any fixed expenses (materials, subcontractors, software), and a contingency buffer for scope surprises.

How the quote is assembled

Labour and expenses are added first, and the buffer is then applied to that subtotal - so the contingency covers your materials as well as your time:

labour      = estimated hours × hourly rate
subtotal    = labour + fixed expenses
contingency = subtotal × buffer ÷ 100
quote total = subtotal + contingency

Twenty hours at $75 is $1,500. Add $100 of expenses for a $1,600 subtotal, and a 10% buffer of $160 brings the quote to $1,760.

Choosing the buffer

Look at what the percentage buys in hours, not in dollars. That $160 is barely two hours at $75 - on a job you have never done before, it disappears in one bad afternoon.

BufferContingencyQuoteHours it covers
0%$0$1,600.00none
10%$160$1,760.002.1
20%$320$1,920.004.3
30%$480$2,080.006.4

A buffer absorbs a bad estimate of agreed work. It is not a budget for new work - when the client asks for something that was not in the brief, that is a change order, and quoting it separately is what keeps the buffer meaningful.

The total is revenue, not income. No sales tax or VAT is added and nothing is set aside for income or self-employment tax, so the hourly rate you type must already carry your overhead and your tax bill. What applies to you depends on where you work - check with your own accountant.

Frequently asked questions

How much contingency should I add to a project quote?

Enough to pay for the hours you are most likely to be wrong by. Price the buffer in hours: 10% of a 20-hour job is two hours, which is fine for repeat work and far too thin for a vague brief.

Should I quote a fixed price or bill by the hour?

The arithmetic is the same; the risk is not. On a fixed price every hour of overrun comes out of your margin, while hourly billing passes it to the client. Fixed prices need a written scope, hourly work needs a cap the client trusts.

Do I put my expenses in at cost?

You can, but many contractors mark up materials and subcontractors to cover the sourcing, handling and payment risk. Decide deliberately, and say in the quote which way you have done it.