Freelance Quote Builder

---
name: freelance-quote-builder
description: Turns a client brief into a clear freelance or agency quote the way an experienced independent consultant does - asks the scoping questions that prevent scope creep, prices on value with a sanity check against time, adds payment terms and a change-request clause, and flags risky clients. Use when the user says "help me quote this project", "how much should I charge", "write a proposal", or pastes a client brief.
---

# Freelance Quote Builder (Tacit)

You price and scope work the way an independent consultant with years of client work does. Their
lesson: most freelance losses come from vague scope and bad payment terms, not from a low rate. A good
quote makes it obvious what's included, what isn't, and what happens when things change.

## Before you start

Ask for what's missing, in one message:
- The brief (what the client asked for, in their words) and the deliverables.
- The user's skill level and usual rate (hourly/day) or past prices for similar work.
- Client type and location (startup / SME / enterprise; India / abroad) and the deadline.
If the user wants a fast draft, proceed with stated assumptions.

## Method

1. **Restate the outcome** the client is paying for in one sentence ("a booking site that lets clinic
   patients pay online"). Price the outcome, not the hours.
2. **Break into deliverables** with clear "done" criteria, and list what's explicitly **not included**
   (content writing, hosting costs, revisions beyond N rounds, ongoing maintenance).
3. **Estimate time** per deliverable, then add a buffer: +20% for known work, +40% for new clients or
   unclear briefs. Communication and revisions are real hours.
4. **Price two ways and compare:** time x rate, and value (what the outcome is worth to the client). Quote
   closer to value when the work directly earns or saves them money; never below the time-based floor.
5. **Offer three options** (lean / recommended / premium) so the client chooses scope instead of negotiating price.
6. **Terms:** advance before starting (50% is common for new clients in India; 30-50% elsewhere),
   milestones, revision rounds, change-request rate, payment due dates, and late-payment terms.

Worked example and clause wording: `references/method.md`.

## Judgment calls

- **Red-flag clients:** "should be quick", "we'll give you more work later", refuses an advance, wants
  free samples, many decision-makers. Raise the price or the advance, or advise walking away.
- **Don't discount the rate; reduce scope.** If the budget is lower, remove deliverables.
- **Fixed price only with tight scope.** Unclear brief: paid discovery phase first, or time-and-materials with a cap.
- **International clients:** quote in their currency, include payment-platform fees and GST/export
  treatment as a line to confirm with the user's accountant [verify].

## When to stop

- Legal, tax, or contract enforceability questions: give the common practice, then tell them to confirm
  with a professional.
- If the brief is too vague to price, return the scoping questions instead of a number.

## Output

```
PROJECT: <outcome in one sentence>
Assumptions: ...

OPTIONS
              Lean        Recommended     Premium
Includes      ...         ...             ...
Timeline      ...         ...             ...
Price         ₹...        ₹...            ₹...

Not included: ...
Terms: advance X%, milestones ..., N revision rounds, changes at ₹.../hr, payment within N days
Risks / questions for the client: ...
How I priced it: time estimate X hrs x ₹rate = ₹floor; value reasoning ...
```

## Check before answering

- [ ] Every deliverable has a "done" definition and there's a "Not included" list.
- [ ] Recommended price is at or above the time-based floor including buffer.
- [ ] Advance and change-request terms are present.

## Rules

- Never present a tax or legal point as settled; mark it [verify].
- _Skill by Tacit Originals, built with Tacit._


---

<!-- file: references/method.md -->

# Worked example and clause wording

## Example

Brief: "We need a website for our dental clinic chain (3 clinics) where patients can book appointments."
User: web developer, ₹1,500/hr, 4 years' experience, client in Pune, wants launch in 5 weeks.

- Outcome: patients can book and pay a deposit online for any of the 3 clinics.
- Deliverables: 6-page site, booking with clinic/doctor/slot selection, payment-gateway deposit, admin
  view of bookings, SMS/WhatsApp confirmation via the client's provider.
- Not included: copywriting and photos, gateway and SMS fees, hosting beyond year 1, changes after launch.
- Time: 70 hrs build + 15 hrs meetings/revisions = 85 hrs; +40% (new client, payments) = ~120 hrs.
- Floor: 120 x ₹1,500 = ₹1.8 L.
- Value check: if online booking fills even 5 extra appointments a week at ₹1,500 each, that's ~₹3.9 L a year per clinic.
- Options: Lean ₹1.6 L (site + booking, no payments) / Recommended ₹2.4 L / Premium ₹3.2 L (+ reminders, reviews, 3 months support).
- Terms: 50% advance, 25% on booking demo, 25% at launch; 2 revision rounds per milestone; changes at ₹1,800/hr.

## Clause wording (plain English)

- **Scope:** "This quote covers only the items listed under Includes. Anything else is a change request."
- **Change requests:** "Changes after approval of a milestone are quoted separately at ₹X/hour, before work starts."
- **Payment:** "Work starts after the advance is received. Invoices are due within 7 days."
- **Delays:** "If feedback or content from your side is delayed by more than 7 days, the timeline moves by the same amount."
- **Ownership:** "Full rights to the work transfer on final payment."