Free Agency Business Tools
Project Pricing Calculator
Turn estimated effort, external costs, contingency, and target margin into a transparent project price.
What this tool does
Build a price from effort, external cost, risk, and margin.
The calculator combines estimated labor with external costs, adds contingency for delivery risk, and then calculates the selling price required for the selected margin.
A transparent breakdown separates labor, expenses, contingency, and expected profit so the final number can be reviewed rather than guessed.
Use the tool
Calculate a project price
Enter effort, rate, external spend, contingency, and margin to create a defensible pricing baseline.
Project assumptions
Price the estimated labor and external spend, then protect the project with contingency and margin.
Recommended project price
$28,307
- Labor
- $16,800
- External costs
- $2,500
- Contingency
- $1,930
- Expected profit
- $7,077
Margin is calculated from the final selling price, not added as a simple markup.
How to use it
Three quick steps
- 1Estimate the total project hours and choose the internal or billable hourly rate.
- 2Add external costs such as production, licensing, travel, or specialist support.
- 3Set contingency and target margin, then review the complete price breakdown.
Worked example
Price a 120-hour creative project
Combine 120 hours at $140, $2,500 external spend, 10% contingency, and a 25% target margin.
FAQ
Questions about the project pricing calculator
Practical details about using the tool and understanding its result.
Keep working
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