How to write a website or app brief that gets you an accurate quote

Every guide on this site says the same thing about price: it depends on the scope, and you get a fixed written quote within 24 hours of describing it. This is the page that tells you what to describe. Copy the template at the end, fill it in, and send it to any developer, including UgeWorks.

Why briefs matter more than budgets

A developer quoting from "I need a website for my business" has two options: guess low and renegotiate later, or guess high to be safe. Either way you pay for the guess. A developer quoting from a one-page brief can give a real number and stand behind it.

The seven things a quote needs

1. What the business does and who the site is for

Two sentences. "A physiotherapy clinic in Anna Nagar; the site is for patients finding us on Google and booking a first visit." The audience decides the design and the tone more than anything else.

2. Pages or screens, and what each must do

A list, not a description. "Home, About, Services (6), Book an appointment, Contact." Then for each page, what a visitor must be able to do there. "Book: choose a service, pick a slot, enter details, pay a deposit." The "do" pages are where the cost is; the "show" pages are cheap.

3. Who logs in, and what they can do

Nobody? Customers, to see orders? Staff, to manage bookings? You, to edit content? Each role is real work. If nobody logs in, say so; it makes the quote smaller.

4. What must connect to what

Payments (Razorpay, Stripe), WhatsApp or SMS notifications, Google Maps, a CRM, accounting software, a delivery partner, an existing database. Each integration is days of work and a permanent dependency, so name them all now.

5. Whether content exists

Copy written? Photos taken? Product list in a spreadsheet with prices and images? If not, say what is missing. Content is the most common reason projects run late, and a quote should include writing or shooting it if you cannot.

6. Two or three sites you like, and why

Not to copy, but to shortcut the design conversation. "I like how simple this one is" tells the designer more than a paragraph.

7. Deadline and budget range

A real deadline, if one exists, and roughly what you can spend. A budget range is not a weakness; it lets the developer propose a scope that fits rather than a scope you cannot afford.

The template

Copy this into an email or a WhatsApp message and fill in each line.

What you get back

From UgeWorks: a written scope naming what is included and what is not, a fixed price, a timeline, what you need to provide and by when, and the engagement model. Free, within 24 hours, no obligation. If the number is wrong for you, say so; a smaller first phase is nearly always possible. The cost page explains the factors behind the number, and the timeline guide what each week is spent on.

Questions people ask