How Would I Estimate The Cost of This Project?

I was going to put this in the 'how much should I charge thread' but since I have specifics, and it was suggested in there that someone may be able to better help with specifics...I'm hoping someone will.... Now the thing is that this cost is only being put into a contract if a joint venture of ours goes bad....so basically, if we decide to part ways after the site has already been built and in use, what would I charge them to turn the thing over to them.

1. Install a basic shopping cart (Zencart)
2. Creating a new website, complete with new graphics, some flash, and of course, incorporating it with the shopping cart.
3. Modifying the backend shopping cart to have certain extras...
4. Uploading all the products and images.


I know this is a very messy description here, but since I have to estimate all these things, I'm at a loss.... I mean installing a shopping cart takes 5 minutes, but one has to know their way around the admin parts of the site to do anything...and then to incorporate it with a entirely new site and make it 'pretty' can takes weeks.....? Any idea how I could even try to break down the costs of this?

I need even a rough estimate...I mean if I were Joe Shmoe looking to set up an online presence for my store, what range of estimates could I expect to get for something like this?

Any help is greatly GREATLY appreciated.

Hello , mytwocents

I see your Thread , i can suggest few ways for estimation of project .

-- Please Calculate whole project duration and provide total cost on hourly base
---In other case when you see hourly rate is not working like Zen cart Installation take 5 min in this case you can charge your Nominal charges that's will help you more , In Most case People will go for whole project so Better to calculate whole project duration Multiply with Hourly rate and you get cost .

-- One of my bad experience is that once i didnt calculate hourly rater properly and i was in trouble so make ensure that you can do all the work in define time then only you get good money..

Thank you ..

If you are going to quote per hour, make sure that when you have done your estimate you add a percentage of the hours more. Generally people tend to underestimate the number of hours, unless they have been doing it for awhile.

Also, working out the actual charge per hour is very much like asking how long is a piece of string. If you haven't done it before don't over charge per hour or you are likely to not get too many jobs, but don't under charge or you'll get taken advantage of.

Unfortunately, it's very much a learning process.

An alternative way is to work out what you think a fair overall cost should be. Then divide that by the number of hours you think it should take. If the hourly rate is too low, then you know you either have to work faster, or charge more.

Hello, Muzza.

Hourly rate will applicable in my view when project is big or you can say Description of project or task project can be change after certain level For a example , if we are talking to make Social Network then we must take care about User friendly ...so we have to check after certain time that we are on track on it ..in this time such big project we can't calculate real time so better to go with "Hour Rate" Else , if you talks about Maintainace of website and Upgrades of website then we can go with Whole project.

Now regarding small project like shopping cart or something else then we can go for Full project.

Mostly all freelancer website ask for whole project price because thats cheaper for outsource company ..and create more competitions..tooo but always focus on the work and what you deliver to client if you are right place with right thing then you will get work easily...

Regards,
Swoopodeveloper