What goes into a custom software quote?
A quote is only as good as the scope behind it. Here is what to write down first, and what to look for in the answer.
By The Solva Group. Published 1 October 2026, updated 3 October 2026.
A custom software quote should describe the workflow, users, data, system connections and exclusions, with a price against that scope. The Solva Group also sets out hosting, support and how changes are priced in its proposal. Before choosing a developer, ask how you will check the finished work and what you receive at handover.
Four things to write down before you ask
1. Who will use it
How many people, what each of them needs to do, and whether customers will use it too. Different people usually need to see different things.
2. The one workflow it must handle
Describe a single job from start to finish, in plain words. "A customer enquires, we quote, we book the job, we invoice" is enough. Software that tries to handle everything at once is a common reason builds run over.
3. The information it needs
Where the information lives today: a system, a spreadsheet, an inbox or someone's head. Say what would need to be moved across.
4. The systems it must connect to
List the software it has to share information with. Connections depend on the access each system allows, so a careful developer will want to check that before pricing.
What a good quote includes
- A written scope: what is being built, in plain words.
- Exclusions: what is not being built.
- The price, and whether it is fixed.
- Hosting: where it runs, what that costs and who looks after it.
- Support after launch, and how changes are priced.
- Who owns the code, and confirmation that your data stays yours.
- How you will see progress before the end.
Agree how the finished work will be checked
Ask the developer to describe the tasks the finished software must complete, who will check them and what information will be used. Separate a defect against the agreed scope from a new request.
Write down dependencies and recurring costs
List the access, content, data and decisions you must provide. Ask which hosting, software subscriptions and support charges continue after the build, who pays them and who controls the accounts.
A brief you can copy
Fill in the blanks and send it to any developer you are asking for a price.
- We are a [type of business] with [number] staff.
- The job we want software for: [one workflow, start to finish].
- The people who will use it: [roles], and whether customers will use it.
- The information it needs lives in: [systems, spreadsheets, inboxes].
- It must share information with: [the software you run].
- Out of scope for now: [what you do not want built yet].
- We would like it working by: [a date, or "no fixed date"].
- We will consider the first version complete when: [the tasks it must perform].
- We can provide these accounts, exports and approvals: [list].
- Please identify recurring costs separately from the build price.
Questions to ask any developer
- Who will actually build it, and will I deal with them directly?
- Can I see something you have built that is running today?
- What happens if we need to change the scope part way through?
- What have you checked about connecting to our existing systems?
- If we part ways, what do we walk away with?
How we quote
You get a written scope and a fixed price before any development starts, and nothing is built until you agree it. Support, hosting and how changes are priced are set out in the proposal. If the job is not yet clear enough to price, a Workflow Blueprint is a fixed-fee plan for one workflow, including a written scope and a build quote.
Quick answers
Do I need a technical brief to get a quote?
No. A rough description of the problem is enough to start. The four points above just make the answer more accurate.
Why will a developer not give a price on the first call?
Because the price depends on the scope, and on what access your existing systems allow. A number given before those are known is a guess.
Is a fixed price better than an hourly rate?
A fixed price against a written scope tells you what you will pay before you commit. That is how we quote. Either way, the scope and the exclusions matter more than the rate.
Where to go next.
Prefer a written workflow plan?
Rather have the plan written for you?
A Workflow Blueprint is a paid, fixed-fee plan for one business workflow, with a written scope and a build quote.
What a Workflow Blueprint includesSee a related project
A CRM for a builder, with Construction.
Jobs tracked from enquiry to closed, a tender board, the team's to-do list and the money on each job, in one place.
Construction · Built for construction teams
See the buildTell us what you need built.
A rough description is enough.