PROJECT QUOTE CALCULATOR / 03
Freelance project quote calculator.
Calculate a project price from hours, rate, costs, contingency and profit margin. Free quote calculator with a clear breakdown. No account needed.
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A considered project estimate
A little clarity for your next project.
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THE THINKING BEHIND IT
A useful number.
With the context to use it.
How it works
Quote = (hours × hourly cost/rate + direct costs) × (1 + contingency) ÷ (1 − target margin). Margin is the share of the quote remaining after the contingency-adjusted base; markup is a percentage added to a cost.
Margin and markup are not the same
A 20% target margin means dividing the contingency-adjusted base by 0.80. Simply adding 20% to cost is a 20% markup, which produces a lower margin.
A worked example
20 hours × 50, plus 200 direct costs, gives a base of 1,200. Add 10% contingency, then divide by 0.80 for a 20% margin: your quote is 1,650.
Keep in mind
An estimate is not a contract. Agree scope, revisions, deliverables, timing, and applicable taxes separately. If your hourly rate already contains profit, adding margin increases the buffer again. Use one currency and avoid counting direct costs twice.
Amounts use decimal arithmetic with half-up rounding. Displayed planning results have two decimal places.
FOLLOW THE PRICE BREAKDOWN
What changing the margin actually changes.
Keep the fictional project above fixed: 20 hours at USD 50, plus USD 200 in direct costs. The base is USD 1,200. A 10% contingency adds USD 120, so every row below starts from the same USD 1,320 contingency-adjusted base.
| Target margin | Calculation | Final quote | Margin allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 1,320 ÷ 1.00 | USD 1,320.00 | USD 0.00 |
| 10% | 1,320 ÷ 0.90 | USD 1,466.67 | USD 146.67 |
| 20% | 1,320 ÷ 0.80 | USD 1,650.00 | USD 330.00 |
| 30% | 1,320 ÷ 0.70 | USD 1,885.71 | USD 565.71 |
Check the denominator
At a 20% margin, USD 330 is left above the adjusted base, and 330 ÷ 1,650 = 20%. A 20% markup would instead be 1,320 × 1.20 = USD 1,584. That leaves USD 264, which is only 16.67% of the final quote. For this same base, a 20% margin is equivalent to a 25% markup.
Keep the allowances separate
The USD 120 contingency is already included before margin is calculated. The “margin allowance” column is the quote minus that adjusted base; it is not a guarantee of take-home profit. Uncounted costs or additional work can reduce what remains.
If your hourly input is already a selling rate with a profit allowance, the extra target margin adds another buffer. Use zero margin to see the estimate before that addition, then compare the assumptions deliberately. These percentages illustrate the formula; they are not recommended margins. Values are rounded to two decimal places.
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