Photography & events
Photography Estimate Calculator
Builds an estimate, where the assumptions determine whether it holds.
Result
A planning estimate, not a quote. Access, the age of the equipment, what is found once it is opened up and local labour rates all move the real figure, sometimes a long way.
Get a Free Business AuditHow the calculation works
Hours by task and direct costs for the job as described, at current rates, with the assumptions stated: shoot duration, deliverable count, revision rounds, locations and licence scope. An estimate without those stated will be argued about, because the client's assumptions will differ from the photographer's.
What moves the number
- Shoot duration and number of locations.
- Deliverable count and revision rounds.
- Licence scope for commercial work.
- Direct costs including assistants and rentals.
Where this one goes wrong
Scope creep in photography is almost always deliverable count, revision rounds and additional locations, each of which sounds small to a client and multiplies the editing hours, which is why the estimate has to state what is included and what triggers an additional charge. Write it down. For commercial work the licence scope is the other item to pin, since a client who assumed unlimited use and received a limited licence has a genuine complaint about the estimate rather than the price.
Before you quote
- State deliverable count, revision rounds and locations.
- Pin the licence scope for commercial work.
- Say what triggers an additional charge.
Questions
About this calculator
What causes scope creep in photography?
Deliverable count, revision rounds and additional locations. Each sounds small to a client and each multiplies the editing hours, which is why an estimate has to state what is included and what triggers an additional charge.
Why state the licence scope in an estimate?
Because a client who assumed unlimited use and received a limited licence has a genuine complaint about the estimate rather than the price. For commercial work the scope of use is most of what is being bought.
How firm should an estimate be?
Firm on the described scope and explicit about what changes it. An estimate presented as a fixed price for an undefined scope is a dispute waiting to happen, and stating the assumptions costs nothing and prevents most of them.
The formula
total = hours x people x rate + parts + call-out, then sales tax
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How to use this calculator
- Hours on the project (h). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 6 h.
- People on the project. Enter your own figure; the page starts at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $95.
- Sales tax (%). Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to estimated total, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Hours on the project | 6 h |
| People on the project | 1 |
| Hourly rate charged | $175 |
| Production, stock and licensing | $60 |
| Discovery or scoping fee | $95 |
| Sales tax | 0% |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Estimated total main result | $1,205 |
| Labour | $1,050 |
| Before tax | $1,205 |
| Sales tax | $0 |
About $1,205: $1,050 of labour, $60 of parts and a $95 call-out.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only hourly rate charged, this is what happens to estimated total. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Hourly rate charged ($) | Estimated total |
|---|---|
| $88 | $683 |
| $131 | $941 |
| $175 example above | $1,205 |
| $263 | $1,733 |
| $350 | $2,255 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Hours on the project (h)
- Measured in h, between 0 and 400, starting at 6 h.
- People on the project
- A number, between 0 and 40, starting at 1.
- Hourly rate charged ($)
- A money amount, starting at $175.
- Production, stock and licensing ($)
- A money amount, starting at $60.
- Discovery or scoping fee ($)
- A money amount, starting at $95.
- Sales tax (%)
- Leave at zero if you are quoting before tax.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Estimated total | The headline result. A money figure. |
| Labour | A money figure. |
| Before tax | A money figure. |
| Sales tax | A money figure. |
Estimating is the easy part
The jobs you never hear about cost more than the ones you mis-measure. BDEVY builds the marketing, systems and automation that bring them in.