[thelist] How to estimate a job

[Marty Landman]

At 08:47 PM 7/10/02 +0200, Hershel Robinson wrote:
>I have a potential client who wants a custom-made app built.  He says he
>requires a fixed price for the whole job.  I can do the programming, but I
>am a bit befuddled as to how to do the estimating.  I have never been any
>good at estimating times.  I think I actually stopped trying after I read
>_The Mythical Man Month_. :)

Great book isn't it? I'll have to finish it up one day. :)

>Any thoughts are appreciated.  I'm guessing the project is no more than a
>month's work, but I also think I can charge a higher rate for those hours
>than usual.  Thus he's sort of a big fish (for me that is) and I would like
>to hook him.  I just need to find the right size hook. ;)

Hershel, I consulted at a very large company once where my manager's method
was to figure out how long something would take, and then double that
number. At first I thought he was kidding me but he swore that's just how
he did it.

I don't think this is a science. There are too many unknowns, like how it
will be dealing with your client on mods and updates. Best bet imo is to be
very detailed on the contract as to what you will do; more importantly have
a long detailed discussion taking care that your client understands what
you will do for the price you agree on -- and what won't be done unless
extra is paid.

hth,

Marty

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