3 of 8 checks pass. Confirm the rest below.
The quote you're about to send
from your project calculator, drag to change
Estimated work
at $50/h, shared with the project tool
Buffer, expenses and platform fee come from the project calculator. Adjust them there; this page updates live.
Checked from your numbers
Above your floor
The floor is the price below which this project loses you money, computed from your real costs and hours. One number, and everything below it is unpaid work.
Your floor is personal, so this check needs your numbers. Set them up in the rate calculator →
Buffer included
Revisions and surprises always come. A healthy quote keeps at least 10% margin above your base labor, so the surprises are paid by the project, not by your evenings.
Platform fee covered
If a marketplace takes a cut, the quote must be increased by dividing by 1 minus the fee. Adding the percentage on top is not enough, and absorbing it silently is worse.
Expenses on top
Stock, travel, printing, subcontracted pieces: project expenses ride on top of the price at full value. They are the client's costs, passing through your hands.
Confirmed by you
All checks green? Turn it into the document with the quote generator. And when the project ends, write down how it really went in the project log. Three entries are enough to start correcting your estimates.
Why a checklist, not a calculator
Most money lost on freelance projects is not lost in the math. It is lost in the parts of a quote nobody wrote down: the missing deposit, the unlimited revisions, the payment deadline that was never stated. The calculators next door build the right price; this page catches everything around the price, in the thirty seconds before you press send. The four computed checks use your own numbers from the project calculator and the rate calculator; the five confirmations are yours, because no calculator can read your email draft.
Last updated: July 2026
What should a freelance quote include?
Seven things: the price (above your personal floor, with a buffer for revisions and surprises), the deposit you ask before starting, a written list of deliverables, a limit on revision rounds, your payment terms (days to pay), a validity date, and any project expenses shown clearly. This page checks all of them before you press send.
How much deposit should a freelancer ask?
Between 30 and 50% is common for most projects, and 50% is a normal ask for new clients or small jobs. For long projects, a smaller deposit plus milestone payments works better. A client who refuses any deposit is telling you something about how they will treat your invoice.
How long should a quote stay valid?
30 days is the usual choice. A validity date protects you twice: your costs and availability change over time, and an old quote returning months later can lock you into a price that no longer makes sense.
Should I show my hourly rate on a fixed-price quote?
Usually no. A fixed quote sells a result; showing the hourly detail invites the client to negotiate your time instead of the outcome. Keep the rate for your own math, and present the price with what it includes.
What payment terms should I set?
14 to 30 days is standard, written on the quote itself. Shorter is fine for small projects. If your country allows late-payment fees, mention them: they are rarely used, but they change how seriously the deadline is taken.
An OpenToolBase tool: free tools for freelancers, no signup.