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Project Remaining Budget Calculator

Reforecast a fixed-fee project using costs already incurred and the work still required, preserving overruns and a negative final margin.

By PriceAndProfit Editorial Updated

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Fill in the fields: the result appears under the form, with the formula below it.

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Formula and cost boundary

Forecast profit = fee − cost incurred − (remaining hours × cost rate + other remaining cost)

Remaining fee after incurred cost is not cash in the bank and not permission to spend. Compare it with the independent estimate to complete. Use cost rates rather than sales rates, and include only committed scope in the agreed fee. Unapproved change orders should remain separate scenarios. A zero fee has no margin denominator even though costs and losses remain meaningful.

Worked example: Still profitable

The following inputs are hypothetical values for checking the calculation. They are not recommended prices, wages, margins or platform charges. Keep the units and period shown in each label when replacing them with your own records.

Inputs for this worked example
InputExample value
Agreed project fee $10,000
Delivery cost incurred to date $4,000
Expected remaining hours 50 hours
Remaining internal hourly cost $60/hour
Other remaining delivery cost $1,000
Outputs from the displayed inputs
ResultCalculated value
Forecast project profit or loss $2,000
Forecast cost to complete $4,000
Fee remaining after cost incurred $6,000
Forecast margin on fee 20%

Using the result

Save the input set alongside the source date of each quote or cost record. Review the cost boundary before comparing this result with another report: a contribution measure may exclude overhead, and a cash measure follows payment dates. Display rounding does not change the underlying assumptions. Recalculate when an input changes; the tool does not predict future sales or collections.

Are any rates supplied automatically?

No. Numeric fields are your inputs. Example values demonstrate arithmetic only. Check your contracts and records for the amounts that apply to your business.

Why might a result be unavailable or negative?

A missing denominator or inconsistent inputs can make the calculation undefined. Those combinations are rejected or labeled explicitly. A valid negative result remains visible because it may identify a loss or cash shortfall.

Method reference: OpenStax: Operating Budgets. Checked October 22, 2026. Capacity, sales and delivery-cost budgets; no market rate assumptions.

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