A project estimate becomes easier to review when you can see which tasks contribute to it. Instead of typing an independent project total, record estimates on tasks and summarize them on the related project.
This guide uses numeric hours, keeps estimated effort separate from actual time and identifies blanks that can make a total look more complete than it is.
1. Choose one unit
Use hours throughout the example. Enter 1.5 for ninety minutes and 0.5 for thirty minutes. Do not mix minutes, hours and text labels in the same numeric property.
An estimate describes expected effort. It does not establish a delivery date or prove time has already been worked.
2. Add the task properties
In Tasks, use a task Title, a Project Relation and an Estimated Hours Number property. Reuse the existing project connection if it serves this purpose. Read relations versus rollups if you are deciding how connections and summaries differ.
For this recipe each task belongs to one project. If a task belongs to several projects, decide how shared effort should be allocated before trusting per-project totals.
3. Build a test project
Create Landing page — estimate test and connect the following fictional records:
| Task | Estimated Hours |
|---|---|
| Review brief | 0.5 |
| Prepare page structure | 1.5 |
| Build first version | 4 |
| Check mobile layout | 1 |
| Final handover preparation | 1 |
Expect 8 hours. These are illustrative test values, not recommended pricing or production estimates.
4. Add the rollup
- In Projects, add a Rollup called Estimated Task Hours.
- Select the relation containing its tasks.
- Select Estimated Hours as the related property.
- Choose Sum.
- Confirm the test project shows 8.
Change Build first version from 4 to 5 and expect 9. Restore it to 4 and expect 8 again. This reversible test checks that the calculation reads the intended records and property.
5. Find missing estimates
Add a sixth related task called Accessibility review and leave Estimated Hours empty. The existing total cannot tell you how much that unestimated task will require. It is a total of recorded estimates, not a complete forecast.
Create a Missing estimates view filtered to Estimated Hours is empty. Show Task and Project. For one project, combine the empty-value condition with a Project filter selecting that project.
Keep zero distinct from blank. Zero means you intentionally record no additional estimated effort. Blank means the estimate is unknown or has not been assessed.
6. Separate planned effort from actual time
Do not overwrite Estimated Hours with time spent merely to make the numbers agree. Keep actual time in a separate process and label its total clearly.
Investigate differences: did work take longer, was the estimate incomplete, was extra work added, was a task misassigned, or did the estimate change after work started?
For new deliverables, use the scope-change tracker to record the decision before updating the plan.
Common mistakes
- Typing units inside a number: keep the value numeric and put the unit in the property name.
- Assuming the total is complete: review missing estimates separately.
- Sharing tasks without allocation: a full estimate can contribute to several project totals.
- Calling estimates time spent: explain what each number represents.
- Including abandoned work unintentionally: review the contributing records before interpreting the forecast.
For unexpected results, follow rollup troubleshooting.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use decimals for part of an hour?
Yes. This recipe uses decimal hours: 0.5 is thirty minutes and 1.5 is ninety minutes.
Does the rollup calculate a delivery date?
No. Summed effort does not account for availability, dependencies or scheduling.
What is the difference between zero and an empty estimate?
Zero is an explicit numeric estimate. Empty means no estimate has been recorded.
Can one task contribute to several projects?
If related to several projects, its estimate can be included in each project’s rollup. Define an allocation rule before relying on those totals.
Should estimates be updated after a scope change?
Review them when agreed work changes. Preserve enough context to distinguish the original expectation from the revised plan.
Want this already built?
This guide shows you how to build and check the workflow yourself. For the wider client and project workspace, explore Freelancer CRM and compare its structure with how you work.