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Agency project quote calculator

Agency project quote calculator

Stop pricing projects on gut. Enter the scope and your costs, pick the margin you want to hit, and this builds the price you should quote - with a contingency buffer so scope creep doesn't eat your profit.

build a quote that protects your margin
recommended project price$4,950
fully-loaded cost (+ buffer)$2,475
effective hourly rate$124/hr
gross profit (planned)$2,475
suggested 50% deposit$2,475
Healthy-ish (30-55%). Room to raise price or cut delivery hours.
what to do
  • A 10% hours overrun costs about $225 - your 10% buffer covers that.
  • At $4,950 you're billing 2.8x your blended cost rate.
Quoted $4,950 at 50% margin - track whether the project actually holds it, live.
Forge builds and runs time and margin tracking for your agency, on your existing tools. No code on your side.
start with a 2-week ops audit

Built with Forge - done-for-you automation for agencies.

The method

How the quote is built

price = (hours × cost × (1 + overhead) × (1 + buffer)) / (1 - target margin)

Start from the fully-loaded cost of the work, add a contingency buffer for the hours that always creep in, then mark it up so what's left after cost is exactly the margin you set. The result is a defensible price - not a round number you hoped was enough.

how to use it

Five inputs, one defensible price

  1. Enter the estimated hours and your blended team cost rate.
  2. Add your overhead on labour, as a percentage.
  3. Set the gross margin you want the project to clear.
  4. Add a contingency buffer for scope creep, then read the price, margin, effective rate and a suggested deposit.
embed this calculator

Put this calculator on your site

Free to embed. Paste this snippet anywhere your audience plans pricing - it's self-contained, updates live, auto-fits any layout, and links back to the full tool.

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questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I price an agency project?

Work out the fully-loaded cost (hours × blended cost rate × (1 + overhead)), add a contingency buffer, then mark it up to your target margin: price = buffered cost / (1 - margin). That's the price that clears the profit you want.

What margin should I quote a project at?

20-35% gross margin is typical for agencies; 50%+ is strong and usually comes from value-based pricing. Set the target and the calculator solves the price.

What is a contingency buffer?

A percentage added to your estimated effort to cover the hours that always creep in - revisions, edge cases, client delays. 10-20% is common; it protects your margin when the work runs long.

Should I ask for a deposit?

Yes - a 50% upfront deposit is standard for project work. It funds delivery and signals commitment. The calculator suggests the deposit from your quoted price.

keep reading

Related for agencies

01

Agency pricing & margin calculator

Already have a fee in mind? Check the margin and effective rate it actually delivers.

learn more →02

Effective hourly rate calculator

See the real hourly rate your quoted price works out to.

learn more →03

Agency proposal template

Wrap your quote in a proposal that frames value and scope, not just a number.

learn more →04

Retainer agreement template

Turn a one-off project into ongoing retained work your client signs.

learn more →05

Agency benchmarks

Sourced margin, utilization and rate benchmarks to sanity-check your quote.

learn more →
build. publish. prove.

Quote the price that actually pays.

Forge builds, runs and keeps improving the automations that track this for you - time, margin, reporting - on a monthly retainer. No code on your side.

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