I wrote this article some time ago. http://inter-sections.net/2007/11/10/easy-estimates http://inter-sections.net/2007/11/10/easy-estimates This technique is

I wrote this article some time ago. http://inter-sections.net/2007/11/10/easy-estimates http://inter-sections.net/2007/11/10/easy-estimates This technique is used by large corporations but can also be adapted to smaller pieces of work quite easily. One important aspect of this method is that it looks very credible, which comes in very handy when discussing estimates with the customer. The argument shifts from "this shouldn't take that long" to "ok, let's not do this bit because it's too expensive". It's much healthier for your client relationship to be having arguments about scope than about your estimates' reliability. Also, I've found this technique to be quite accurate on the whole, so it is actually better than gut feeling estimates on both the social side and the technical side.