A customer asks you for a price. You do the math and decide the job should cost $350.
Now what do you actually send them?
A message that says “I can do it for $350” gives the customer a number, but it leaves a lot unanswered. What will they receive? When will you deliver it? How many changes are included? What happens if they ask for something you didn’t price?
You don’t need a complicated document to answer those questions. For a small job, a clear quote can fit on one page or in a well-organized email.
Let’s walk through a hypothetical example. The numbers are for illustration, not a recommended rate for every business.
First, know what went into your price
Suppose you’re quoting one short promotional video for a local business. You estimate:
- Scripting and preparation: 30 minutes
- Filming: 1.5 hours
- Editing, captions and export: 1.5 hours
- Scheduling, client messages, handoff and invoicing: 1 hour
That is 4.5 hours of planned work. For this example, assume a business rate of $60 per hour and $20 in direct project costs paid upfront. A business rate is an internal number intended to cover the owner's pay and a share of the business's expenses. The $60 is an assumption; it is not necessarily enough for your own pay, expenses, capacity and profit.
Add a 15% buffer for ordinary uncertainty:
- 4.5 hours × 1.15 = 5.175 protected hours
- 5.175 hours × $60 = $310.50
- $310.50 + $20 in direct costs = $330.50
- Rounded up to the next $25 = $350 before any applicable tax
The buffer helps with normal estimating misses. It is not permission for the customer to add unlimited work.
If your estimate is too uncertain to define the work, don’t force a fixed price. You might need a smaller paid discovery step or an hourly arrangement first.
Example: a quote you can adapt
Here is what the customer-facing version might look like. The details in brackets are placeholders, not promises you should make without checking your own capacity and terms.
Quote: One short promotional video
Prepared for: [Client name]
Prepared by: [Business name]
Date: [Date]
Quote valid through: [Date]What’s included: One promotional video up to 60 seconds, filmed at one agreed location, edited with captions, and delivered as one digital file suitable for [agreed platform]. One round of edits to the first cut is included: one consolidated list of caption corrections and minor cuts, with no reshoot or new creative direction.
What I need from you: Access to the location, any approved wording or branding, and one person who can provide consolidated feedback by [date].
Timing: The first cut is due [number] business days after filming and receipt of the agreed materials. The final file is due [number] business days after I receive the revision notes. Dates may need to move if materials or feedback arrive late; we’ll agree on a revised schedule.
Price: $350 before any applicable tax. A $175 deposit is due before work begins. The remaining $175 is due [upon final delivery / on the agreed invoice date].
Not included: Additional locations, additional videos, reshoots, extra revision rounds, paid-ad licensing, travel beyond [agreed area], or third-party fees not listed above.
Changes: If you want work outside this scope, I’ll describe the added work and price in writing. I’ll begin the extra work after you approve it.
Acceptance: If this matches what you need, reply with your approval. I’ll confirm the schedule and send the deposit invoice.
Adapt the example to the work. A cleaner might name rooms and excluded tasks. A website designer might list the number of pages, who supplies the copy, and who maintains the site after launch.
The point isn’t to copy someone else’s terms. It’s to make sure both sides understand the same job before work starts.
Define one revision round
“One revision” sounds clear until it isn’t. Does it mean one typo? Ten separate calls? A completely new concept?
For a small video project, you could define one round as a single consolidated list of changes to the first cut. You might include caption corrections and minor cuts, but exclude a new shoot or a new creative direction.
If a customer asks for work outside the quote, avoid surprising them with a bill. Explain the difference, give them the added price and timing, and get approval before doing it.
Check the deposit against the cash you need
In the example, the $175 deposit covers the $20 in stated upfront costs and leaves $155 toward early work. That doesn’t automatically make 50% right for every project.
Before setting your deposit, write down what you must pay for and how much work you’ll complete before the next payment. Materials, subcontractors, rentals or travel can make a small deposit inadequate. Payment terms and deposits may also be subject to local rules, so check the requirements that apply to your work.
Keep the internal math separate from the client’s decision
You can use a loaded hourly rate to decide whether the project is worth doing without presenting the customer with a detailed timesheet. The customer mainly needs to understand the result, price, boundaries and payment schedule.
After the job, compare your 4.5 planned hours with the time you actually spent. If communication or revisions took twice as long as expected, adjust the next quote or change the scope. One project is useful information, but it isn’t enough to establish a market price.
Before you send your next quote
Read it once as if you were the customer:
- Can I tell exactly what I’m getting?
- Do I know when it should be delivered and what I need to provide?
- Are the price and payment dates clear?
- Can I tell what is excluded and how extra work is approved?
- Does the deposit cover the cash the business needs before the next payment?
If you haven’t calculated your number yet, use the Project Quote Calculator to test the hours, rate, buffer and costs. For a broader walkthrough, read How to Quote a Job Without Guessing.
A good quote won’t eliminate every disagreement. It gives you and the customer a much better starting point.
This example is educational, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Adapt your terms to your work and local requirements.