Five things a software quote should tell you
A quote is more than a number. Hold any quote up against these five, ours or anyone else’s, before you say yes.
When you ask a software team for a quote, a document comes back. Some are one page long. Some run for many pages. The good ones have one thing in common: when you finish reading, you know what you are buying. Here are five things every quote should tell you before you say yes.
A quote is the written offer for the work, with the price. Some teams call it a proposal or an estimate. Ours is a written proposal: scope, timeline and quote together, sent before any work starts.
It says what is in, and what is not
Start with the scope, which is the list of what will be built. Look for plain sentences, such as “customers can book a slot and get a reminder on WhatsApp”. If all you see is big words like “platform” or “solution”, ask for the list again in everyday language.
Scope is the list of work that is in the price. If a thing is not in the scope, it is not in the price. A short list you understand is better than a long one you do not.
Then look for the second list, which matters more: what is not included. Every project has things people assume are covered and are not. A good quote names them, so nobody is surprised in week six.
Not a real quote. In: a booking page, a daily list for the front desk, a WhatsApp reminder. Not in: online payments, a mobile app, a second language.
What do you put in writing first?
A written proposal with scope, timeline and quote, before any work starts. There is no cost until you agree.
See a sample proposalIt says when, in stages you can see
A quote should give a time, but one date at the very end is not enough. Ask for stages. After each stage there should be something you can open and try, not just a report saying that work is going well.
A stage is a slice of the work that ends with something that works, for example the booking page before the reports are built. With us, a weekly demo shows you the work as it grows.
Then ask what the time depends on. Delays often come from waiting: for a decision, for a login, for a file. A good quote says which of these it expects from you, and how fast.
How long will my project take?
Small automations usually take 2 to 4 weeks, and most apps take 6 to 16 weeks. Your own timeline is in the written proposal before any work starts.
See a project week by weekIt says what the price covers, and what sits outside it
Whatever the number is, ask what it covers. Is it one price for the whole project, or a rate for each month or each hour? Both can be fair. What is not fair is not knowing which one you agreed to.
Not a real quote. “One price for the whole project, paid in three parts” is easy to follow. “A rate for each hour” is also fine, if the quote says how many hours it expects.
Next, ask what you will pay to other people. Hosting, domain names, software licences and message fees usually go straight to the company that provides them, not to the software team. A good quote lists them, even when the amount is only an estimate.
Hosting is the rented computer where your software runs. A licence is a fee to use someone else’s tool. A usage fee is a charge for each message, call or document.
Will AI or WhatsApp use cost extra?
Yes. We bill AI, WhatsApp and calling usage at cost and show it in the monthly report.
See what moves the priceIt says what happens when you change your mind
You will change your mind, because you only see how software really works once you use it. That is normal. So the quote should say how a change is handled before the first change arrives.
A change request is a short written note about work that was not in the first scope. It protects both sides: you know the effect before you say yes, and the team knows what was agreed.
Look for three steps in writing. The change is described in plain words. The team says what it does to the time and the price. Nothing starts until you agree. If a quote says nothing about change, you are trusting that the talk will go well later.
Not a real quote. You ask for a payment page. The team writes one paragraph: what it does, how many days it adds, and what it adds to the price. You answer yes or no, and only then does the work begin.
How do you handle changes?
We write in plain words what a change does to the timeline and the quote, and start only after you approve.
See how changes workIt says what is yours, and what happens after launch
When the work ends, who owns the code, the accounts and the documents? The answer should be you, in writing. If the answer is “we license it to you” or “it depends”, read that part twice.
Accounts are the logins for hosting, your domain name and the app stores. They should be in your name, so you can change teams at any time without asking permission.
Then look at the weeks after launch. Real people find problems that testing missed. A good quote says how long fixes are free and what support looks like after that, so you can plan for it.
Who owns what you build?
You do: the code, the accounts and the documentation. After launch you get 30 days of free fixes. We sign an NDA (a promise to keep your information private) on request.
See the handover checklistIf a quote answers all five, you can compare it fairly with others. If it does not, ask. A team that answers plainly before you pay is showing you how it will work after you pay.
Sample documents
A sample proposal, weekly update and handover checklist, with made-up data and a clear Sample mark.
Sample papers
Open the folderWhat moves the price
Six dials show what makes a project bigger or smaller. No numbers, no guessing.
Interactive page
Open the dialsHold a real quote up to these ten lines
Open any quote, yours or ours. Tick each line you can find in it. Every line left unticked is a question to send back.
0 of 10 found
Open a quote and tick the lines you can find in it.
Want a quote that answers all five?
Send your requirement. You get a written proposal with scope, timeline and quote, at no cost until you agree. We reply within 1 working day.
Questions this answers
Readers often ask these next. Each one opens the full answer on our questions page.
- Thing 3How much will my project cost?
- Thing 3Do I pay for the written proposal?
- Thing 3Will AI or WhatsApp use cost extra?
- Thing 4Can I start small and add to it later?
- Thing 5If we stop working together, do I keep everything?
- Thing 5What does a monthly care plan include?