Free freelancer quote template

Quoting per project instead of per hour changes how a client reads your price. An hourly rate invites them to estimate your hours and second-guess the total. A project price invites them to evaluate the outcome instead. Do the hourly math privately to set your number, then present a single figure per phase. It protects your margin on efficient work instead of penalising you for it.

Scope creep is the single biggest threat to a freelancer's margin, and it almost always starts with an undefined "and could you also just..." A quote that states revision rounds explicitly, such as "two rounds of revisions included, additional rounds billed at £X/hr," isn't being precious. It's the difference between a profitable project and one that quietly doubles in hours for the same fee.

Payment milestones matter more for freelancers than almost any other trade, because the "product" is intangible until it's finished. A 30/30/40 or 50/50 split tied to concrete checkpoints, such as deposit, design sign-off, and launch, gives you cash flow partway through a long project. It also gives the client confidence that payment tracks visible progress, not time passing.

State what happens if the client goes quiet mid-project, because it happens more often than anyone plans for. A line noting that "projects paused for more than 30 days may require a new timeline and revised quote" protects you. Otherwise you're expected to pick up exactly where you left off, at the original price, six months after the client stopped responding to emails.