Freelancers search this after a client pauses the project, “goes in another direction,” or asks to stop at 40% done. Discount tables answer a cheaper quote. Cost-rise tables answer a more expensive sub. This page holds the original price still and moves only how much work is left, how much cash is already in, and what they offered to walk away.
Open the Quote Margin Check calculator and keep your own price, hours, deposit, kill fee, and sunk costs. The table below uses the page defaults: $2,400 quoted, 24 delivery + 5 admin + 6 revision hours, $180 overhead, $300 subcontractor, $75/hour target, 14 hours already spent, $1,200 already paid, $360 kill fee, $180 already sunk.
As quoted, $480 of direct costs leaves $1,920.00 if they pay the rest. Fourteen hours are already spent and $180 of overhead is already gone. Finishing the remaining 21.00 hours still collects $1,200.00 and still spends the $300 sub — $900.00 from here, $42.86/hour.
The $360 kill fee on top of the $1,200 deposit keeps $1,380.00 after sunk costs — $540.00 less cash than finishing. Walking with only the deposit keeps $1,020.00. If those 21 hours can be rebooked at $75/hour ($1,575.00), the kill fee is $1,035.00 ahead of finishing. If they stay empty, finish.
| Path | Cash kept | Vs finishing | Hours freed | If you refill at $75/hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish remaining work | $1,920.00 | — | 0.00 | $1,920.00 |
| Take the kill fee | $1,380.00 | −$540.00 | 21.00 | $2,955.00 |
| Walk with only what's paid | $1,020.00 | −$900.00 | 21.00 | $2,595.00 |
Same quote, but they already paid $2,160 and you have only spent 8 hours. An $80 kill fee on top of that keeps $2,060.00. Finishing the last 27 hours collects $240 more and still spends $300 of remaining costs — −$60.00 from here. The kill fee already keeps $140.00 more cash than finishing, before any refill.
Enter the hours, deposit, fee, and sunk costs from your own job. This page does not recommend taking or refusing a kill fee, write a cancellation clause, or claim other work will appear.
On a typical $2,400 quote (35 hours, $480 of costs) with 14 hours already spent, $1,200 already paid, $180 of costs already sunk, and a $360 kill fee, finishing keeps $1,920.00. The kill fee keeps $1,380.00 — $540.00 less cash. Walking with only the deposit keeps $1,020.00. Finishing the remaining 21.00 hours pays $900.00 from here ($42.86/hour). Booking those 21 hours at $75/hour would make the kill fee $1,035.00 ahead of finishing.
When most of the price is already paid and remaining costs are still open. On the same $2,400 quote with 8 hours spent, $2,160 already paid, $180 sunk, and an $80 kill fee, finishing the last 27 hours collects only $240 more and still spends $300 of remaining costs — $60 from here. The kill fee keeps $2,060.00, $140.00 more cash than finishing.