startup-costs, web-developmentFor this particular example I want somebody to add google login option to my web application?
How do I get a handle on how long his should take and the cost?
If you are looking for a freelancer, you want to look for the person whos cost is not the highest and not the lowest. You get what you pay for so in this case, you should really look for the most qualified person. Doing a Google login, for an experienced programmer, should not take more than an hour or so. So you should be looking to spend around 60 dollars more and less depending on how much his or her hourly rate is.
To add to Trenton Tyler’s answer you could also consider the following:
rate per hour is not everything;
one programmer that charges $30 per hour, but requires 2 hours to complete costs you the same.
Outsource to other country where your native language is not the same as the programmers native language;
It will take you more time to explain what you need (of course the google login is easy to understand, but consider bigger scenario’s). So how much is your own time worth?
To add: Get multiple quotes for the project. 3 at a minimum.
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