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How to write a video production quote: rules first, then the structure

When you make video ads for clients, the first question is usually "How much?" This page covers how the Nova Academy client-work lesson builds a quote: first the pricing rules, then the structure of the quote itself.

There are no reference prices here. The lesson's principle: without a credible survey of local rates, it won't give you numbers, because copying someone else's figure is how you quote wrong. You'll find your own.

1. Three pricing rules

1. Check the market before you quote. The client is comparing you with what it costs to have a video shot, not with your own costs. So: find out what this kind of video goes for locally, set your quote from that, then check it against your costs to make sure you're not losing money. Costs are for that check, not for working out what to charge. 2. Quote per video, never per second or per minute. Quote by length and the client compares you with tools that charge by length. Quote per video and they compare you with the cost of shooting one. Write "one 30-second video: total", and answer the same way if they push. 3. List the work in detail, give one total. Concept, storyboard, visuals, subtitles and music can all be listed so the client sees how much goes into it, but don't break the price down line by line. You're selling one finished piece.

2. Make three phone calls first

As a customer, call three ad or media agencies near you and ask: "How much for a 30-second promo video for my shop?" Then ask: "What about one with no people, just the product?"

That's the market rate for your own street. It's where the "market price" in rule 1 comes from.

3. A quote in six sections

1. Project overview: where it will run (social ads, an in-store screen, a website), the format, the length and what files you deliver. 2. Services and price (three tiers): what each tier includes, with one total per tier. 3. Priced separately: things outside the tiers that you'll quote if needed, such as a longer cut, higher resolution, or extra visual revisions. Also note what isn't included this time, such as posters or account management. 4. Timeline: how long until the first cut, counted from when the deposit and all the materials arrive, and how long each revision round takes. 5. Payment: deposit and balance are separate. The first cut is a watermarked preview; the clean video goes over once the balance is paid. 6. Notes: what's excluded, that the visuals are made with AI assistance, who's responsible for the materials the client supplies, and a line that you promise no results.

4. Always offer three tiers

Faced with a single number, people only ask "is it expensive?" Faced with three, they ask "which one?"

  • Basic: one video, one aspect ratio.
  • Standard: Basic, plus one foreign-language subtitle version.
  • Full: Standard, plus a second aspect ratio (say, a vertical cut as well as the landscape one), plus free updates to the on-screen text (price, phone number, dates) for six months.

The extras cost very different amounts. A foreign-language subtitle version doesn't need new footage: switching languages on Nova's delivery page just re-combines the subtitles. A second aspect ratio means a new project with all the footage generated again, which costs close to making another video. Before you price a tier, check what each extra needs in your own project.

5. Three rules for the quote itself

  • Give it an expiry date. A quote with no expiry can come back months later, when your costs may have changed.
  • What's excluded matters more than what's included. Almost every dispute comes from something nobody wrote down. Put "ad spend not included", "posters not included" and "account management not included" in writing.
  • Keep the last disclaimer word for word: the video comes with no promise of views, follower growth, foot traffic or sales. It stops clients chasing you for results, and it stops you from making claims you shouldn't.

6. Payment: send a watermarked preview first

Send the first cut as a watermarked preview so the client can see it clearly; send the clean video once the balance is paid. Nova's delivery page stamps a watermarked sample for free and leaves the master untouched. See watermark a video preview for your client.

→ Lessons 02-03 "Taking on client work: quotes, a materials checklist and contract wording templates" and 02-01 "A watermarked sample: the client can see it, not keep it"

FAQ

How much should I charge for a video ad? This page doesn't give numbers. Ask three local agencies as a customer, price from the market, then check you're not losing money.

Can I quote per second or per minute? We don't recommend it. Quote per video, with one total.

Why three tiers? Three options get the client thinking "which one?" instead of "is it expensive?"

Where's the full quote template? In the client-work handbook in lesson 02-03, included from Starter.

Where to start