---
title: "How project efforts are calculated"
description: "A project's effort is calculated from the individual effort of its work packages and the customer-specific requirements stored in them."
---
In Leadtime, project effort is calculated based on the effort stored in the **project components**.

Each component contains standardized work packages with a **minimum effort in hours**. **Questionnaires** dynamically adapt these baseline values to the project's actual requirements. This creates a precise, transparent effort estimate that can be adjusted flexibly for different project scenarios.

Each work package defines:

- a **minimum effort (timeframe)**—the baseline effort for the standard implementation,
- a **questionnaire** for capturing additional requirements.

Answers in the form can **increase** the effort, **leave it unchanged**, or, for checkboxes and multipliers, calculate it **based on quantity**.

The system uses this information to calculate the total estimated project effort automatically.

[Bill projects](/billing/invoice-review/invoice-projects)

## Example: A work package for optimizing a website

![Illustration](/images/help-center/administration/project-effort-calculation-01.png)

This work package lets you select optional optimization measures for a website.

It has a **minimum effort of 6 hours** for the technical review and basic optimization.

The customer can activate additional services using a **checkbox question**. Each selection increases the effort by the specified amount.

| **Option** | **Description** | **Additional effort** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **SEO Onpage Optimisation** | Reviewing and adjusting copy, titles, metadata, and page structure to improve visibility in Google. | +8h |
| **Backlink Building (manual)** | Researching suitable platforms, adding directory listings, and building an initial set of high-quality backlinks. | +16h |
| **Google Analytics Integration** | Integrating tracking, configuring privacy notices, and testing data transmission. | +2h |

### Calculation example

A customer chooses the following services:

- **SEO Onpage Optimisation** (+8h) and
- **Google Analytics Integration** (+2h).

The effort is calculated as follows:

**Base effort (6h)** + **8h** + **2h** = **16 hours of total effort**

If the customer also selects **Backlink Building**, the total effort increases to **32 hours**.

## Form elements that can affect effort

### Checkboxes

![Illustration](/images/help-center/administration/project-effort-calculation-02.png)

Checkboxes are used when **several options can be selected at the same time**. They are suitable when a customer wants to combine **additional services or modules** flexibly. Each selected checkbox increases the effort by its associated value.

Example: In the *Website Optimisation* work package, the customer can select several optimization measures:

- **SEO Onpage Optimisation** → +8 hours
- **Backlink Building (manual)** → +16 hours
- **Google Analytics Integration** → +2 hours

If the customer selects all three options, they add **26 hours of effort**. Checkboxes therefore enable **modular, additive calculation** within a work package.

### Radio buttons

![Illustration](/images/help-center/administration/project-effort-calculation-03.png)

Radio buttons are used in forms when **only one answer** may be selected from several options. They are ideal for **either-or decisions** that can have different effects on project effort.

In the example shown, the answer determines whether a legally compliant legal notice and privacy policy already exist or must be created:

- **Yes, I have both** → no additional effort
- **No, please create both** → **+2 hours**

This automatically adjusts the effort without allowing multiple options to be active at the same time.

### Multiplier

![Illustration](/images/help-center/administration/project-effort-calculation-04.png)

The **Multiplier** is used when effort **depends on a quantity or number**—in other words, when a task is performed multiple times. Instead of selecting fixed options, the user enters a number that is multiplied by a predefined hourly value.

In this example, the user specifies **how many blog posts should be created**:

- Effort per article: **2 hours**
- Quantity entered: **5 articles**

→ The total effort is calculated automatically as **2h × 5 = 10 hours**

Multipliers are suitable for **repeated or quantity-based tasks**, such as copy, products, pages, records, or designs.

---

## Effort for checklists and acceptance tests

![Illustration](/images/help-center/administration/project-effort-calculation-05.png)

**Checklists** and **acceptance tests** can also include effort.

These elements support only a **fixed minimum effort**, which is estimated and entered when the element is created.

It is used to calculate the time required for a review or for carrying out tests.