Table of Contents Introduction Determine the Size of the Project Fudge Factors to Consider Apply the Metrics and Fudge Factors What are Your Hours per Page? Finalizing the Estimate

Apply the Metrics and Fudge Factors

Now that you’ve got some kind of page count, it’s time to figure out how long the document will take. When I talk about hours in this section, I mean hours. Many people estimate by eight-hour day, which includes time spent fixing your computer, e-mail time, chat time, and time spent dealing with other minor emergencies.

One other note: I have found that estimating the hours per page works best on manuals over sixty pages long. With shorter documents, one bad snag can set your hours off significantly. For example, I had eight-page documents that took anywhere from 20 to 80 hours to complete.