Calculate project quote

Turn estimated delivery time into a client quote that includes non-billable overhead and a separate uncertainty buffer.

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ToolProject Quote Calculator
Input
Output
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Preview

How it works

Labour cost is estimated hours multiplied by the hourly rate, and overhead is calculated from that labour amount. Contingency is then applied to labour plus overhead, so 15% overhead followed by 10% contingency produces a total 26.5% above labour rather than 25%.

Formula
labour = estimated hours × hourly rate
quote = (labour + overhead) × (1 + contingency percentage)
  • The default 15% overhead remains visible for administration and tools that are not billed as delivery hours.
  • The default 10% contingency is calculated last because it protects the whole pre-contingency estimate.

Worked example

40 hours at 75 an hour
Default 15% overhead and 10% contingency
Input
											Estimated hours: 40
Hourly rate: 75
Output
												Labor cost: 3000
Overhead cost: 450
Contingency cost: 345
Total quote: 3795
Overhead percent assumed: 15
Contingency percent assumed: 10

When to use this

Freelance statements of work, agency delivery estimates, and construction or design bids separate billable labour from overhead and scope uncertainty.

Edge cases

  • A 10% contingency is applied after 15% overhead, so it adds 11.5% of labour rather than 10% of labour.
  • Setting overhead to 0 removes only the overhead charge; contingency still applies to labour.
  • An overhead or contingency percentage above 200 is rejected instead of turning an estimate into an unbounded markup.