Project timeline estimator
Phases and team size, as weeks with a dependency buffer.
FreeRuns in your browserNo signupUpdated 2026-10-29
Phases (calendar weeks each)
Phases run one after another. The buffer covers waiting on content, approvals and third parties, which almost every project hits.
Total duration
16.8 wks
14 planned + 20% buffer
Expected finish
27 Feb 2027
About 3.9 months
Effort
50 p-wks
3 people × 16.8 weeks
Timeline
| Phase | Planned | With buffer | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery and scope | 2 wks | 2.4 wks | 2 Nov 2026 | 18 Nov 2026 |
| Design | 3 wks | 3.6 wks | 18 Nov 2026 | 14 Dec 2026 |
| Build | 6 wks | 7.2 wks | 14 Dec 2026 | 2 Feb 2027 |
| QA and content | 2 wks | 2.4 wks | 2 Feb 2027 | 19 Feb 2027 |
| Launch | 1 wks | 1.2 wks | 19 Feb 2027 | 27 Feb 2027 |
Summary
Project timeline (3 people, 20% buffer), starting 2 Nov 2026 Discovery and scope: 2.4 weeks (2 Nov 2026 to 18 Nov 2026) Design: 3.6 weeks (18 Nov 2026 to 14 Dec 2026) Build: 7.2 weeks (14 Dec 2026 to 2 Feb 2027) QA and content: 2.4 weeks (2 Feb 2027 to 19 Feb 2027) Launch: 1.2 weeks (19 Feb 2027 to 27 Feb 2027) Total: 16.8 weeks, about 3.9 months, 50 person-weeks Expected finish: 27 Feb 2027
About this tool
How it works and how to read the result.
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Ongoing design and development capacity on a monthly plan.
See the serviceWhat it does
A project timeline estimator turns a list of phases into dates. Enter each phase with its length in calendar weeks, the team size and a start date, then choose a buffer. The estimator adds the buffer to every phase, runs them one after another, and shows the start and end dates for each, the total duration and the expected finish. It also reports person-weeks of effort, which is what a budget is built on. The default phases follow a typical website build; edit them for any project.
How to use it
- Set the start date and the number of people working on the project at once.
- Set the buffer. 20% is a sound default; use more if the client supplies content or sign-off is slow.
- Edit the phase names and weeks. Add or remove phases to match your plan.
- Read the timeline table and copy the summary into a proposal or a kick-off email.
How to read the result
The default plan has five phases: discovery 2 weeks, design 3, build 6, QA and content 2, launch 1. That is 14 planned weeks. With a 20% buffer each phase stretches, so the total becomes 16.8 weeks, or just under four months. Starting on 2 November 2026, the build phase runs from mid-December to early February and the expected finish is in the last week of February 2027.
With a team of three, the effort is about 50 person-weeks. If you pay a blended weekly rate per person, multiply it by 50 to get a cost ceiling that already includes the buffer.
The bar under the table shows how the phases share the total. If the build takes more than half the bar, that is where the risk sits, and it is worth splitting it into two phases with a review in between so slippage shows up early.
If the finish date is too late, the honest options are to cut scope or to accept the date. Reducing the buffer only hides the delay until it happens.
Our dedicated team service adds developers to an existing plan on a monthly basis. To price the hours behind each phase, use the freelance hourly rate calculator.
Questions
Frequently asked.
Why add a 20% buffer to a project timeline?
Because almost every project waits on something outside the team's control, such as content, approvals, third-party access or a stakeholder on holiday. A 20% buffer absorbs those delays without moving the launch date. Projects with many external dependencies often need 30%.
Does adding people shorten the timeline?
Not in proportion. Doubling the team rarely halves the duration, because work has dependencies and people need time to coordinate. The estimator keeps the calendar weeks you enter and uses team size for effort, so you can see the person-weeks and judge for yourself whether more people would help.
How long does a typical company website take?
A marketing site of 10 to 30 pages usually takes 10 to 16 weeks from kick-off to launch, including a buffer. Discovery and design take the first third, the build the middle, and content, testing and launch the rest. Content delivery from the client is the most common cause of slippage.
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