Free Finance Tool

Free Freelance Kill Fee Calculator

A freelance kill fee is a cancellation charge billed when a client terminates a project before completion, typically 25% to 50% of the unbilled remaining work. Use this calculator to figure out a fair, defensible final invoice and generate the email to send the client.

25% / 35% / 50% policiesLive invoice breakdownCopy-paste client email

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Built for

Freelancers facing a sudden client cancellation

Agencies enforcing termination clauses

Consultants closing out paused engagements

Total due

$4,450.00

Updates live as you adjust the project value, hours completed, kill fee policy, and deposit below.

How To

How to use this calculator

Plug in your project numbers, pick a policy, and copy the breakdown straight into your final invoice.

Step 1

Enter the project numbers

Type in the total contracted project value, deposit you have already received, hours you have already completed, your hourly rate, and the original total estimated hours.

Step 2

Pick a kill fee policy

Choose 25% (conservative), 35% (standard), 50% (aggressive), or enter a custom percentage that matches your contract's termination clause.

Step 3

Tag the cancellation reason

Pick the reason the project is being cancelled. This does not change the math but it changes the negotiation guidance and the tone of the generated email.

Step 4

Copy the breakdown and email

Use the breakdown as your final invoice line items and copy the email template directly into your reply to the client. Adjust the language to match your relationship.

Calculator

Calculate your kill fee

Total project value ($)Deposit already received ($)Hours completedHourly rate ($)Total estimated hours

Kill fee policy

Reason for cancellation

The client is walking away by choice. Charging your full contracted kill fee is appropriate and standard.

Kill fees are far easier to collect when explicitly written into your contract. This tool provides general guidance to help you structure a fair invoice and is not legal advice.

Invoice breakdown

Work completed

$5,000.00

Remaining work

$7,000.00

Kill fee (35%)

$2,450.00

Deposit applied

-$3,000.00

Total due

$4,450.00

Project was 42% complete by hours.

Client email

Subject: Final invoice and project close-out

Hi there,

Thanks for letting me know you'd like to wind down the project. I appreciate you communicating this directly so we can close things out cleanly.

Per our agreement, here is the final reconciliation for the project:

- Work completed (40 hours): $5,000.00
- Remaining contracted work: $7,000.00
- Kill fee on remaining work (35%): $2,450.00
- Less: deposit already received: -$3,000.00
- Total due: $4,450.00

The kill fee covers reserved capacity and project ramp-up that cannot be redirected on short notice. Please remit payment within 14 days of this notice. I will send a formal invoice alongside this message.

Once this is settled I will hand over all in-progress files and final source materials. Happy to jump on a quick call if anything is unclear.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Reference

Industry-standard kill fee percentages

Use these as a starting point. The right percentage depends on what your contract says, how senior you are, how much capacity was reserved, and how long the engagement was scheduled to run.

25%

Conservative (25%)

Lower-friction recovery, common for small projects under $5k.

35%

Standard (35%)

The middle-of-the-road industry default for mid-sized engagements.

50%

Aggressive (50%)

Used by senior creatives, agencies, and reserved-capacity work.

Custom

Custom %

Use your own contracted kill fee percentage.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What is a kill fee in freelancing?

A kill fee is a cancellation fee a freelancer charges when a client terminates a project before it is finished. It compensates you for reserved time, ramp-up effort, lost opportunity to take other work, and any work-in-progress that has not yet been billed. The kill fee is in addition to whatever you have already earned for completed work.

What's a fair kill fee percentage?

Industry-standard kill fees typically range from 25% to 50% of the unbilled remaining project value. 25% is conservative, 35% is the most common default, and 50% is used for senior creative or agency work where capacity was reserved. The percentage applies to the remaining work, not the entire project value.

Can I charge a kill fee without a contract clause?

Without a written kill fee clause, collecting one is significantly harder, but you can still bill completed work in full and try to negotiate compensation for reserved capacity. Going forward, add a termination clause to every contract that specifies the kill fee percentage and when it applies. This calculator outputs an invoice and email even when no clause exists, so you can at least make the ask in writing.

How is a kill fee different from a cancellation fee?

The terms are largely interchangeable. Kill fee comes from publishing and creative industries, where assignments are 'killed' before publication. Cancellation fee is the broader business term. In both cases, you are charging for the value of work or capacity that was committed but cannot be delivered or billed because the client pulled the plug.

How do I invoice a kill fee?

Send a final invoice that itemizes work completed, the kill fee on remaining work, and a deduction for any deposit already received. Reference the termination clause in your contract. Include a clear payment due date (commonly Net 7 or Net 14 for terminated projects) and a brief, professional cover email explaining the breakdown. This calculator generates both the invoice line items and the email.

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