Estimate templates · Web Design
Web Design Estimate Template — Free & Fillable
Website quotes go wrong when scope is vague. This template starts with a real marketing-site build broken into phases — discovery, sitemap, wireframes, design, build, QA, launch — with revision rounds, pass-through platform fees and a 50/50 schedule already written.
Make your web design estimate
Prefilled with a sample marketing website build — every line, the terms and the notes. Change the quantities and rates to your own, add your logo and the customer’s details, and download a clean PDF. No signup, no watermark.
What goes on a web design estimate
One line per phase, in the order the project runs, each with hours and what the phase delivers. Revision rounds belong in the design line’s description. Pass-through costs — platform plans, fonts, themes, stock photos — go below the labor, clearly marked “at cost,” so they don’t inflate your rate in the client’s eyes.
| Line item | How it’s priced | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery and strategy | Hours | $150/hr |
| Wireframes and design | Hours per phase | $125/hr |
| Build / development | Hours | $135/hr |
| Copywriting | Per page | $275/page |
| Platform plan | Passed through at cost | $276/yr |
| Licenses — fonts, themes, stock | Per item | Webfont $240 |
| Care plan | Monthly | $295/mo |
| Change requests | Hourly | $125/hr |
Example prices come from the Northbound Studio demo price book (Minneapolis, MN). Your market, crew and suppliers will differ — use them for structure, not as a rate card.
How to price a web design job
Estimate hours phase by phase from your past projects, then decide whether to show hours or fixed phase prices. Either way, the phases themselves are the scope: a client can see that wireframes come before design and that the build depends on approved designs.
Write down the page count and templates, what content the client supplies and when, and how many revision rounds each phase includes. “Unlimited revisions” is how a 60-hour site becomes a 140-hour site.
Keep third-party costs separate and at cost, or with a stated handling fee. Clients accept a platform plan or a font license they’ll own; they resent a mystery “setup fee.”
Deposits and payment schedule
Fifty percent to book the slot and fifty percent at launch is the most common split for small sites. Larger builds often go 40/30/30 by milestone — on signing, on design approval, at launch. Care plans and hosting bill monthly or yearly on their own invoices.
- Signing50% deposit — project booked
- Design approvalBuild begins
- LaunchBalance due; 30-day support window starts
Scope, revisions and ownership
Add a content-delay clause: if the client’s copy or photos arrive late, the timeline moves, and the final payment is due at an agreed date even if they haven’t provided what launch needs. Stalled projects with half the money outstanding are the classic web-studio cash-flow trap.
State when ownership transfers (usually on final payment), what post-launch support covers and for how long, and that platform fees are billed by the platform or passed through at cost.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate a web design project?
Break it into phases — discovery, sitemap, wireframes, design, build, content and QA, launch — and estimate hours for each from past projects. Define page count, templates, revision rounds and who supplies content, then add pass-through costs and your payment schedule.
How many revisions should a web design estimate include?
Two rounds per design phase is common. Write the number into the estimate, and price extra rounds at your hourly rate so change requests stay a business conversation, not a favor.
Should hosting and platform fees be on a web design estimate?
Yes, as separate lines marked “at cost” (or with a stated handling fee), or as a note that the platform bills the client directly. Mixing them into your labor hides your real rate and confuses renewals.
When does the client own the website?
Most studios transfer ownership of the site and final files on final payment. Say so on the estimate, along with what happens to third-party licenses and accounts.
When the job is done
An approved estimate becomes your invoice — same lines, same numbers. Grab the web design invoice template, or open the invoice generator and bill what you quoted. Not sure which document you need? Read estimate vs. invoice.
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