Scenario 1
Small website build
40h estimate, 20% contingency, $80/hr, 15% margin → $4,416.
Trusted by freelancers and business owners
Project Rate Calculator
Estimate hours, add a contingency buffer, and price projects with a margin you can defend.
Adjust your inputs
Results update instantly as you type or drag.
1 – 1,000
h
0 – 1,000
$
0 – 100
%
Buffer for scope creep and unknowns
0 – 100
%
Quick insights
Adjusted hours
48 h
Base cost
$3,840
Margin amount
$576.00
Quick answer
How do I price a freelance project?
Estimate the hours, add a contingency for unknowns, multiply by your hourly rate, then add a margin.
How it works
From inputs to result in four steps
A quick walkthrough of what this calculator does behind the scenes.
- 1
Contingency — covers scope drift and unexpected work (typically 15–25%)
- 2
Profit margin — turns a break-even quote into a profitable project
Formula
The math behind the number
No black box — here's exactly how the result is computed.
Formula
Adjusted hours = Estimated hours × (1 + Contingency %)
Base cost = Adjusted hours × Hourly rate
Quote = Base cost × (1 + Margin %)Examples
Real-world scenarios
See how the numbers play out for typical use cases.
Scenario 2
Consulting engagement
80h estimate, 25% contingency, $120/hr, 20% margin → $14,400.
Related
Pair this with
Other calculators that work well alongside this one.