Studio task · fictional worked example

Price a fixed project so admin and revisions don't eat it.

A fixed quote needs to cover more than delivery hours. Include admin, revisions, contingency, and payment fees before setting the price. The example below shows the calculation and three possible scopes.

Try the free quote-floor calculator →

Calculate a floor, then price the scope

1. Compute your floor. Delivery hours + admin hours at your real hourly rate, plus a revision buffer, plus contingency, plus payment fees. This is the minimum price that covers your chosen rate and allowances.
2. Offer clearly scoped options. A small, standard, and full option can make the tradeoffs easier to compare. Each needs its own scope and cost estimate.
3. Set the revision allowance in writing. Choose a number of rounds you can cover in the price. State how you charge for additional rounds.
4. Name what is not included. List excluded work and costs, such as copywriting, photography, rush delivery, and third-party services.
5. Send the quote as a proposal, not a number. Floor math stays private; the client sees options, scopes, and terms.

Worked example: brand refresh for a local bakery

A fictional project with illustrative rates and hours.

A bakery wants a brand refresh: logo, menu design, and a simple one-page site. You estimate the delivery work at 30 hours and your chosen hourly rate is $80/hour.

Step 1. Calculate the floor

• Delivery: 30 h × $80 = $2,400
• Admin (calls, email, invoicing, file handoff): 6 h × $80 = $480
• Revision buffer (two structured rounds): 4 h × $80 = $320
• Subtotal: $3,200
• Contingency 15% (the thing you didn't foresee): $480
• Payment fee at 3% of the final charge: $113.81
• Floor: $3,680 ÷ 0.97 = $3,793.81. Round to $3,800. Below this, the quote misses the chosen rate or allowances.

Step 2. Price three possible scopes

• Essential, $3,800. Logo refresh, menu design, one-page site from a template. Two revision rounds. Copy provided by the bakery.
• Standard, $4,900. Everything in Essential, plus custom one-page design, copy polish on existing text, and a launch checklist with two weeks of post-launch fixes.
• Full, $6,400. Everything in Standard, plus signage and packaging design, photography direction, and a second page for catering inquiries.

The client can compare the included work at each price. Check the labor estimate for every option; extra deliverables need enough budget even when the smallest option meets your floor.

Where the method needs judgment

• Choose an hourly rate that covers your costs and intended pay before using the formula.
• It doesn't work for hourly or retainer engagements, which need different boundaries.
• It won't make an underfunded client funded. If no option fits their budget, the honest answer is a smaller scope, not a discount.
• Account for taxes, currency conversion, and late-payment terms separately.

The paid next step (only if you want the tool)

If you quote regularly, the Freelance Project Quote Calculator & Proposal Kit runs the same floor-and-three-options method as an offline calculator with a proposal template, so the next quote takes minutes instead of an evening. Preview the full contents before you decide; the method above stays free either way.

Part of the Pagemage library guides. The five-kit client-work sequence continues with onboarding, scope control, launch QA, and profit review.