// Project Autopilot - Cost Estimation Guidelines // Copyright (c) 2026 Jeremy McSpadden jeremy@fluxlabs.net

Cost Estimation Skill

Reference this skill when creating phases to provide accurate token/cost estimates.

---

Task Cost Estimates

By Task Type

Task Type	Input Tokens	Output Tokens	Est. Cost (Sonnet)
Read/analyze file	500-2,000	200-500	$0.002-0.01
Create new file	1,000-3,000	1,500-5,000	$0.01-0.03
Modify existing file	1,500-4,000	1,000-3,000	$0.01-0.025
Write unit tests	2,000-5,000	2,000-6,000	$0.015-0.045
Write integration tests	3,000-8,000	3,000-8,000	$0.025-0.06
Code review	2,000-6,000	1,000-3,000	$0.01-0.03
Documentation	1,000-3,000	1,500-4,000	$0.01-0.025
Debug/fix	3,000-10,000	2,000-5,000	$0.02-0.05
Schema design	1,500-4,000	2,000-5,000	$0.015-0.035
API endpoint	2,000-5,000	2,500-6,000	$0.02-0.045
React component	2,000-6,000	3,000-8,000	$0.025-0.055
Configuration	500-1,500	500-1,500	$0.003-0.01

By Complexity

Complexity	Multiplier	Example
Simple	1.0x	Add config value, simple function
Medium	1.5x	New endpoint with validation
Complex	2.5x	Auth system, complex logic
Very Complex	4.0x	Multi-service integration

---

Phase Cost Estimates

Typical Phase Costs (Sonnet)

Phase	Tasks	Est. Tokens	Est. Cost
001 Setup	3-5	15K-30K	$0.08-0.20
002 Database	4-6	25K-50K	$0.15-0.35
003 Infrastructure	4-6	20K-40K	$0.12-0.28
004 Auth	5-8	40K-80K	$0.25-0.55
005 API	6-12	50K-120K	$0.35-0.85
006 Business Logic	6-15	60K-150K	$0.40-1.00
007 Frontend	8-15	80K-180K	$0.55-1.25
008 Features	10-25	100K-300K	$0.70-2.00
009 Testing	6-12	50K-120K	$0.35-0.85
010 Security	4-8	30K-70K	$0.20-0.50
011 Documentation	4-8	30K-60K	$0.20-0.40
012 DevOps	5-10	40K-90K	$0.28-0.60
013 Polish	3-8	25K-60K	$0.15-0.40

Total Typical Project: 400K-1.5M tokens, $2.50-$10.00

---

Estimation Formula

Per Task

Base Cost = (input_tokens × input_rate) + (output_tokens × output_rate)

Haiku:  input_rate = $1/1M,  output_rate = $5/1M
Sonnet: input_rate = $3/1M,  output_rate = $15/1M
Opus:   input_rate = $5/1M,  output_rate = $25/1M

Adjusted Cost = Base Cost × Complexity Multiplier × Buffer (1.2)

Per Phase

Phase Estimate = Σ(Task Estimates) × Phase Buffer (1.15)

Buffer Factors

Factor	Buffer	Reason
Task	1.2x	Retries, validation
Phase	1.15x	Integration, fixes
Project	1.25x	Unknowns, scope creep

---

Confidence Levels

Level	Variance	When to Use
High	±15%	Well-defined, done before
Medium	±30%	Clear scope, some unknowns
Low	±50%	Vague requirements, new tech

---

Estimation Checklist

Before finalizing phase estimates:

• Each task has complexity rating
• Model specified (Opus vs Sonnet)
• Buffer applied (1.2x task, 1.15x phase)
• Confidence level stated
• Range provided (min-max)
• Total phase estimate calculated
• Fits within project budget