A good quote for a website or app describes exactly what you get, what is not included, what it costs, when it's done and what it will cost after launch. You can only compare two quotes fairly once you translate them into the same list and put the total cost over a few years side by side. This article covers what belongs in a good quote, how to compare quotes that seem impossible to compare, what a good quote looks like and a checklist to use with every one.

The short version

  • The scope is the most important part. A low price with a vague description isn't a low price; it's a bill you'll get later.
  • Read what's not included. Exclusions and assumptions often say more than the list of what is included.
  • Compare the total cost: the build plus hosting, maintenance and licences over two to three years.
  • Check how changes are handled. That's where most projects end up with the biggest price difference afterwards.

Still deciding which partner to work with? Read How to choose the right app development company first. This article is about the next step: the quotes on the table.

What belongs in a good quote?

A concrete scope

  • Per page or screen: which pages the website gets, or which screens the app has.
  • Per user role: what a visitor, customer or admin can do.
  • Per integration: which systems it connects to, such as your accounting software, CRM or payment provider.
  • Per platform: web only, or also an app for iOS and Android.

The more specific, the fewer arguments afterwards. "A modern website with a contact form" isn't a scope; "eight pages, a multi-step quote form and a connection to your inbox" is.

Assumptions and exclusions

Every quote assumes something. Does it say you'll supply the copy yourself, that no multilingual support is needed or that there's one design round? Then you know what the price is based on. If this part is missing, ask for it. Whatever isn't named often turns into extra work later.

Who supplies what

Copy, photos, logos, product data and access to existing systems: the quote should say who takes care of each. If you have to write all the copy while you assumed it was included, both your schedule and your budget will overrun.

Design and feedback rounds

How many design proposals do you get, and how many feedback rounds are included? With a custom design this is a big cost item; with an existing theme or template it's much smaller. Both are fine, as long as you know which one you're buying.

What the price includes

  • An admin panel or CMS, so you can change copy, products or data yourself.
  • Setting up hosting and putting the website or app live.
  • Publishing to the App Store and Google Play, for an app.
  • SEO basics: fast pages, titles and descriptions per page and a logical structure.
  • Redirects from your old website. If you're replacing an existing site, the old addresses must point to the new ones, or you lose your positions in Google.

Schedule and delivery date

A fixed delivery date belongs in it. A quote that says "timeline to be agreed" gives the builder little reason to deliver on time. How long a realistic project takes is covered in How long does it take to build an app?.

Payment schedule

When do you pay what? A common setup is a part at the start and the rest at milestones or on delivery. Be careful if almost everything has to be paid up front, before you've seen anything working.

Changes and extra work

This is where quotes differ most. Is a change swapped for something else within the same price, or is there a new price? Is there a rate for extra work? And who decides what counts as a change? A clear rule here prevents most disputes.

Delivery, warranty and aftercare

  • Acceptance: how do you test and sign off the result?
  • Warranty period: for how long are bugs fixed free of charge after launch?
  • Maintenance: what does it cost afterwards to keep everything secure and up to date?

Ownership

Who owns the source code, the design and the accounts afterwards? Make sure the domain name, hosting and App Store accounts are in your own company's name, and that it's clear from when the code is yours.

Recurring costs

Hosting, maintenance, paid themes, plugins, apps in a webshop platform and the platform subscription itself. These costs often aren't in the headline amount, but they decide what your website or app costs you per year. For webshops this matters even more; see Shopify or WooCommerce?.

Comparing quotes that seem impossible to compare

One quote is a single page with one amount, the other a ten-page document with dozens of lines. Here's how to compare them anyway:

  1. Make one list. Put the items above in a column and mark per quote what's included, what's missing and what's unclear.
  2. Ask about the gaps. Send each partner the same questions about what's missing. The answer, and how quickly and concretely it comes, tells you something too.
  3. Work out the total cost over two to three years: the build plus hosting, maintenance, licences and subscriptions. A cheap build with high monthly costs can end up more expensive.
  4. Weigh the scope. The cheapest quote with the vaguest description is usually not the cheapest outcome.
  5. Look at the risk. A fixed price with a fixed deadline puts the risk of overruns on the builder; time and materials puts it on you.

Tip: ask each partner what they'd cut if your budget were twenty percent lower. The answer shows who really understands your project, and gives you a better comparison of what's essential.

Example of a good quote

A good quote doesn't have to be long, but it does have a fixed structure. For example:

  1. Goal and context: a few sentences on what the project should achieve and for whom.
  2. Scope: the pages or screens, user roles, integrations and platforms.
  3. Not included and assumptions: what's deliberately left out and what the price is based on.
  4. Deliverables: what you supply and what the builder takes care of.
  5. Schedule: the phases and a fixed delivery date.
  6. Price: the total amount (€ …) and possibly a breakdown per part.
  7. Payment schedule: which part is paid when.
  8. Changes: how changes and extra work are handled.
  9. Delivery and warranty: how you sign off and how long bugs are fixed free of charge.
  10. After launch: hosting, maintenance and the recurring costs per month or year (€ …).
  11. Ownership: who owns the code, design and accounts, and from when.

How we quote

After a free intake we fix the scope and you get one fixed price and a fixed deadline. They don't change as long as the scope stays the same. Want to add something halfway through? Then we look together at what can make way for it, or put it on the list for version 2. You have one point of contact, see a working version every week, and once paid, the source code is yours. After launch we stay available for maintenance and further development.

For apps and web applications we use these indications: an MVP costs €3,000 to €5,000, a simple version €5,000 to €8,000 and a complete version €10,000 to €15,000. A first version is usually live within 4 to 8 weeks. How those amounts are built up is explained in How much does it cost to build an app?.

Checklist for every quote

  • Is the scope described per page, screen, role and integration?
  • Are assumptions and exclusions included?
  • Is it clear who supplies copy, photos and content?
  • How many design and feedback rounds are included?
  • Are the admin panel, hosting, publishing, SEO basics and redirects in the price?
  • Is there a fixed delivery date?
  • Is the payment schedule reasonable compared with the progress?
  • Is there a clear rule for changes and extra work?
  • How do acceptance, warranty and maintenance work?
  • Who owns the code, design and accounts?
  • What are the recurring costs per year?

Want a quote you can hold up against this list? Read more about having a website built, having an app built or our process, and plan a free intake.