I finally figured out why my project estimates were always wrong

John Robinson · 2026-03-15T12:35:07.470201+00:00

Last month, I quoted a client $800 for a website redesign, thinking it would take about 20 hours. I didn't plan for the three rounds of revisions they asked for, which added another 15 hours of unpaid work. That mistake cost me over $600 in lost time. How do you guys build a buffer for client changes into your quotes?

nina1476mo ago

That 20% rule is a good start, but it's not enough for some clients. You have to be clear up front about what the base price includes and what costs extra. It saves so many headaches later.

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the_charlie6mo ago

Been there, that's the worst feeling.

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wyatt_shah856mo ago

Oh man, I read somewhere you should just add 20% to your time estimate for changes.

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