Videography Quote: What to Include and How to Write One (With a Sample)
A good videography quote lists every part of the job as its own line: pre-production, shoot time and crew, editing with a set number of revision rounds, the final deliverables and their formats, extras like drone or licensed music, travel, and the deposit that holds the date. Add who can use the video and where, and how long delivery takes.
Video jobs go wrong in the edit, not on the shoot day. The client pictured one thing, you delivered another, and now they want "just one more change" for the fourth time. A quote that spells out revisions, length and formats protects your evenings and your margin.
Below you will find what to include, a sample quote for a corporate event video, the mistakes that cost videographers money, and how to send a clean quote from your phone right after the call.
What should a videography quote include?
- Project type and goal. Wedding film, corporate event recap, brand video, real estate tour, music video, interviews. One sentence on what the video is for keeps everyone on the same page.
- Pre-production. Planning call, script or shot list, location scouting. If it takes your time, it gets a line.
- Shoot time. Hours or days of filming, with a rate for extra hours. Say when the clock starts: call time, not the first shot.
- Crew and gear. Second camera operator, audio, lighting kit, gimbal. Optional crew goes on its own line so the client can choose.
- Editing and revisions. The finished length (for example, a 2 to 3 minute recap), color and audio work, and the number of revision rounds included. Add the price of an extra round.
- Deliverables. Number of videos, length of each, formats (16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for Reels and TikTok), resolution, and how you deliver them (download link, drive).
- Music. Licensed tracks cost money and have their own rules. Say who pays for the license.
- Drone footage. Only where it is allowed. Flying a drone for paid work in the US requires an FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate (see the FAA's rules for commercial drone pilots).
- Usage rights. Where the client can use the video (website, social, paid ads, TV) and whether you can show it in your portfolio.
- Travel, delivery time and deposit. Travel outside your area, the delivery date for the first cut, and the deposit that books the date.
Sample videography quote
Here is how a corporate event recap might look. These are example numbers. Use your own prices.
| Line | Section | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event filming, lead camera | Labor | 6 | hour | $150.00 |
| Second camera operator | Labor | 6 | hour | $85.00 |
| Editing: 2 to 3 min recap, 2 revision rounds | Labor | 1 | job | $900.00 |
| Three 30 second vertical cuts for social media | Labor | 3 | each | $120.00 |
| Licensed music track | Materials | 1 | each | $60.00 |
| Drone footage, outdoor arrival (where permitted) | Other | 1 | job | $250.00 |
| Travel | Other | 1 | job | $75.00 |
Under the lines, write the delivery date for the first cut, what counts as a revision round, the price of an extra round, and the usage rights. Keep the vertical cuts as separate lines: if the budget is tight, the client can drop them without asking you to cut your day rate.
How do you price a video job?
Most videographers price by the pieces of the job, not by the finished minute. Count your real hours for each part: planning, shooting, travel, editing, exporting and revisions. Editing usually takes longer than the shoot, so price it as its own line and never give it away inside the day rate. Add your gear, any crew you pay, music licenses and software. Then decide your profit on top.
Offer packages if you get the same kind of job often (for example, a recap only, a recap plus social cuts, and full coverage with interviews). Write each one as clear lines so the difference between them is easy to see.
Videography quote mistakes that cost you money
- Unlimited revisions. Set the number of rounds and the price of each extra one. "Small changes" add up to days.
- No deliverable list. If the quote says "a video," the client may expect a long version, a short version and three vertical cuts.
- Music left vague. A popular song the client loves can get the video muted or taken down. Agree on licensed music in writing.
- Raw footage handed over for free. If the client wants all the raw files, price it as its own line.
- Usage rights not stated. A video made for a website and later used in a paid TV spot is a different job. Say who owns what. The US Copyright Office explains how ownership works in Works Made for Hire (Circular 30); for anything unusual, talk to a lawyer.
- Booking a date without a deposit. When you hold a date, you turn down other work for it.
How to send a videography quote from your phone
- Open Chambaly and tap the microphone.
- Describe the job. "Company event recap, 6 hours filming with a second camera, edit a 2 to 3 minute recap with 2 revision rounds, three vertical cuts for social, one licensed track, drone outside if allowed, travel, 50 percent deposit."
- AI builds the lines. Filming, crew, editing and extras each get a line. If you did not give a price, it suggests one and marks it for you to check. The price is always yours.
- Send it. A clean PDF by text, WhatsApp or email, in English or Spanish. With Pro+, the client can sign it online and pay the deposit by card.
When the client approves, turn the quote into an invoice in one tap, and let Chambaly remind you when the balance is due. You can also snap photos of receipts for gear rentals and music licenses so they are ready at tax time.
New to quoting? Read how to write an estimate, or see how other creative jobs do it in our photography quote guide and event quote guide.
Questions
What is the difference between a videography quote and an invoice?
The quote comes before the work: it says what you will deliver and what it costs, so the client can approve it. The invoice comes after (or for the deposit) and asks for payment. In Chambaly you can turn an approved quote into an invoice in one tap.
How many revision rounds should a video quote include?
That is your call. Many videographers include one or two rounds and charge for extra ones. What matters is that the number and the price of an extra round are written in the quote before you start editing.
Should I charge a deposit for a video shoot?
Many videographers ask for a deposit to hold the date, because they turn down other work for it. Write the amount or percentage in the quote. With Chambaly Pro+, the client can pay it by card from the quote.
Can I write the quote in Spanish and send it in English?
Yes. Chambaly makes documents in English or Spanish and translates your lines, so you can describe the job in one language and send it in the other.
Get it signed and paid from their phone.
With Pro+, your client signs with a finger and pays by card or bank. The money goes to your bank account, and if they’re late, Chambaly reminds them for you.
