Agency Pricing Calculator

Input your hours, hourly cost, and markup — get a recommended client quote plus an industry benchmark comparison. Free. No signup. Works for any service business.

Benchmarks come from 2026 industry surveys. Closest match is fine.

$

What it costs YOU to do the work — labor plus overhead. Not what you charge clients.

25% (thin)100% (healthy)300% (premium)

Recommended quote

$4,800

Effective rate: $120/hr

Labor cost (40 hrs × $50)$2,000
Overhead (20%)$400
Profit (100%)$2,400
Total project quote$4,800

vs. Experienced industry benchmark

Typical range: $100–$175 per hour

Your rate is aligned with the industry benchmark for your tier.

Ready to send this as a real proposal?

Generate full proposal with Wintura

Free — 3 proposals per month, no credit card

Your calculation is saved in the URL — share the page to share the quote.

How to price an agency project in 5 steps

  1. 1

    Choose your service category

    Pick the category closest to your work. The calculator loads industry hourly-rate benchmarks for your tier.

  2. 2

    Estimate total project hours

    Include discovery, execution, revisions, and project management — not just billable delivery time.

  3. 3

    Enter your blended hourly cost

    This is what it costs YOU to do the work: labour plus overhead per hour. Not what you charge clients — what it costs before markup.

  4. 4

    Set your markup

    Agencies and consultants typically mark up 100–200% over cost. Premium brands and specialists can justify 300%+.

  5. 5

    Review the benchmark verdict

    Compare your effective hourly rate to the industry median for your tier. Too far below? Raise your rates. Above? Make sure your positioning justifies the premium.

Frequently asked questions about agency pricing

How do agencies price services?
Most agencies use one of three pricing models: fixed-fee (one price for a defined scope), monthly retainer (recurring revenue for ongoing work), or hourly (billed per hour). Fixed-fee is the most profitable when you estimate hours accurately — you keep the upside if you deliver under estimate.
What is a reasonable markup over cost?
Industry-standard markup for agencies and service businesses ranges from 100% to 200% over internal cost. Solo consultants often run 100-150%. Established agencies with team overhead run 150-250%. Specialist firms and premium brands can justify 250%+.
What is blended hourly cost?
Blended hourly cost is your internal labour cost averaged across your team or your effective hourly self-cost. For agencies: sum total monthly salaries + benefits + payroll taxes, divide by total billable hours. For solos: your desired annual take-home divided by realistic billable hours (typically 1,200-1,500/year after admin overhead).
How do I factor overhead into pricing?
This calculator applies a 20% overhead rate on top of your labour cost, which covers software subscriptions, insurance, admin time, rent (if applicable), and non-billable overhead. Adjust up to 30% if you have significant office/tool costs, down to 10% if you operate lean.
Should I charge fixed-fee or hourly?
Fixed-fee is better when you can scope the work clearly — you protect your margin and clients avoid 'billable hour' anxiety. Hourly is safer for ambiguous scope (research, discovery, open-ended creative work). Many agencies use fixed-fee for defined deliverables and hourly for out-of-scope work via change orders.
How does this compare to value-based pricing?
Cost-plus (what this calculator uses) is the industry default because it's simple and defensible. Value-based pricing — charging a percentage of the client outcome — can produce higher quotes, but requires (a) quantifiable outcomes, (b) client buy-in to the premise, and (c) enough confidence in your delivery to accept the volatility. Start with cost-plus, graduate to value-based once you have case studies.

Related resources

How to price agency services

In-depth guide to pricing models and rate setting

Free proposal templates

Ready-to-use proposal templates across services

Sample proposals

See what Wintura generates

Value-based pricing guide

Move beyond cost-plus to premium pricing

Back to free tools