Look beyond production time
A design, report or support session may be the thing a customer sees, but delivery also involves discovery, coordination, revisions and administration. Map those steps before estimating effort. Include dependencies that affect the schedule, such as receiving approved content or arranging access. A price calculated only from production hours can hide the rest of the work.
Explain what is included
Make the quotation understandable: what is supplied, what the client must provide and how changes are handled. Specify whether additional revisions require a revised scope rather than leaving that issue for the final invoice. After a project closes, compare estimated and actual effort. Use the result to improve the next quotation, not to retrospectively redefine the agreement.
A short working checklist
- Map discovery, delivery and administration.
- State revision and change arrangements.
- Review actual effort after the project.
Further reading
General educational material. Requirements depend on the actual activity and jurisdiction.