BidLab

Worldwide · Private

Free · No signup · Private

Project Bid & Client Quote

Turn hours × rate into a real bid: revision buffer, risk buffer, expenses, optional profit margin, then a fixed project price and a clean client quote line. Educational only — not a proposal, contract, or legal advice.

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Hours × rate Buffers Fixed bid Client quote 40+ currencies

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Works worldwide. Changes money labels only, not a live FX converter.

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Hours × rate

Estimated hours × your billable hourly rate. This is the labor floor before buffers and expenses.

Hours Hourly rate

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Enter hours and rate.

Revision & risk buffers

Add % on top of labor for revisions and unknowns. Effective hours = hours × (1 + rev% + risk%).

Hours Hourly rate Revision buffer % Risk buffer %

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Enter hours, rate, and buffers.

Fixed project bid

Buffered labor + hard expenses, then optional profit margin % on that subtotal → your fixed bid.

Hours Hourly rate Revision buffer % Risk buffer % Expenses (fixed) Profit margin %

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Enter labor, buffers, expenses, margin.

Client quote

Same fixed-bid math, plus optional tax/VAT display on the quote and a one-line client summary you can copy.

Hours Hourly rate Revision buffer % Risk buffer % Expenses Profit margin % Tax / VAT % on quote (optional) Project name (optional)

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Enter bid inputs for a client line.

Effective hourly from a fixed bid

Divide project price by hours (optionally after expenses) to see true rate.

Project price Hours estimated

Optional

Expenses (not labor)

—

Enter price and hours.

Bid + contingency

Base bid × (1 + contingency %). Optional hours for padded hourly feel.

Base bid $ Contingency %

Optional

Hours (for $/hr view)

—

Enter base and contingency.

Project bid → monthly retainer

Bid ÷ months (optional hours/month for retainer hourly feel).

Project bid $ Months covered Hours / month

—

Enter bid and months.

Bid after client discount

Final = bid × (1 − discount %).

Bid amount Discount %

—

Enter bid and discount.

Rush uplift on bid

Rushed = bid × (1 + rush %).

Base bid Rush %

—

Enter bid and rush %.

Milestone payment split

Each = bid × milestone %.

Total bid Milestone 1 % Milestone 2 % Milestone 3 %

—

Enter bid and %s.

How BidLab works

Underbidding usually comes from forgetting revisions, risk, and expenses. BidLab stacks them in order:

Hours × rate — labor floor.
Buffers — revision % + risk % on hours (or equivalent labor $).
Fixed bid — buffered labor + expenses, then profit margin %.
Client quote — same bid + optional tax line + copyable summary.
Eff. hourly — fixed price ÷ hours (after expenses) → true rate.
Contingency — base bid × (1 + pad %) and optional $/hr.
Retainer eq. — project bid ÷ months (+ $/hr at hours/mo).
Discount bid — bid × (1 − discount %).
Rush fee — bid × (1 + rush %).
Milestone split — bid × each milestone %.

Defaults are illustrations. Pair with Freelance rate for your hourly, InvoiceLab for billing, NetLab for processor take-home. Not legal or accounting advice.

FAQ

Should buffers stack on hours or on dollars?

BidLab applies revision + risk as percent on hours (same as percent on labor $ at a constant rate). Then expenses and profit margin apply on the dollar subtotal.

What profit margin should I use?

Common freelance ranges are ~10–25% after you already buffered risk — but it depends on demand and competition. Treat the default as a starting point only.

Is currency live FX?

No. Currency only relabels amounts. No live rates.

How much revision buffer should I add?

Common starting points are 10-25% depending on client and scope clarity. BidLab keeps revision and risk separate so you can tune each.

Is the client quote a legal proposal?

No. It is a copyable summary of the math. Use your own proposal terms, scope, and contract language.

What is the difference between risk buffer and profit margin?

Risk/revision buffers cover uncertainty and extra rounds. Profit margin is what you want left after costs. Stacking both prevents “busy but broke” bids.

Should I bid fixed price or hourly?

Fixed bids need stronger buffers and clear scope. Hourly shifts overrun risk to the client. Use the tabs to price both before you send a number.

How do I bid when the scope is unclear?

Raise the risk buffer, split into phases, or bid discovery first. Unclear scope is where fixed bids go unpaid — price uncertainty explicitly.

Should travel or tools be in the bid?

Yes if the client causes them. Put expenses as their own line so your hourly margin is not silently funding software, contractors, or flights.