How to Estimate a Web Site Project
  1. Determine what the specifications are for the site
  2. Break these specifications down into as many smaller tasks as possible
  3. Figure as accurately as possible the amount of time each task will take
  4. Add up the total hours and multiply by your hourly rate
  5. Add a percentage for contingencies, add expenses, and total it all up
Determine what the specifications are for the site.
Clients often don't have a clear idea of what they want, they need your help to clarify and articulate what kind of web site they have in mind. The process usually involves a series of conversations and email exchanges.
  1. Total number of pages
  2. What kind of navigation bars or menus
  3. More than one page design?
  4. Number of custom graphics needed
  5. Number of graphics provided by the client
  6. How design-intensive a site do they want?
  7. What type of text content, provided in what form?
  8. Interactive forms? How many fields?
  9. Database-driven applications? (Detailed description of all functionality is needed)
  10. Administration areas?
  11. Domain registrations or changes?
  12. Hosting arrangements?
  13. How important is search engine positioning?
  14. Will any client training be necessary?
Break the specifications down.
Now, take each part of the specification document and break it down into as many actual tasks as possible. Forinstance, "Gallery of 30 photos of 6 different houses" might involve:
  1. Receiving and sorting out client's photos
  2. Cropping, sizing, optimizing, and renaming photos
  3. Working with client to figure out how to present photos
  4. Creating thumbnails
  5. Building pages
  6. Receiving client's feedback, correcting and refining gallery page design

Figure how much time each task will take.  
For each task in your list, make your most honest estimate of the time it will require. Be realistic. You may want it to take one hour to build an entire page draft, but the reality is probably going to be closer to three or four hours. Give yourself enough time to do a good job! And remember - this type of time estimate is almost always short. Be generous!

Add up the total hours and multiply by your hourly rate.
Even if you don't plan to charge the client by the hour, but rather by the project, figuring by the hour is the only reasonable way to go, as it's the only real available objective measure of "how much work". The client doesn't need to know anything about the hours you're estimating it will take you, but you should know this.

Add a percentage for contingencies, add expenses, and total it all up.
The "contingency allowance" is something that experienced web and graphic designers don't even question. Underestimating is so universal that providing a cushion against your own probable inaccuracy is highly advisable. Between 10-20% is typical. Expenses, of course, are any out-of-pocket costs such as the price of graphics purchased, paying subcontractors, etc. Add it all up, and there's your total!

Stand your ground.
You may be tempted to shrink the total estimate down, fearing that your potential client will find it too high, but resist that urge. You came up with as accurate an estimate as possible, and it makes no sense to lower it. The client may or may not like your price, but if you offer to do the job for less than what is fair for you, no good can come of it. Stand your ground! You won't get every job, but the ones you do get will go much smoother if your estimate was accurate and fair.

By Patty Ayers

This page last modified on Sunday, May 28, 2006