Earlier this month I was asked to quote a document accessibility project for a state agency. The job was to make two research reports accessible, build a design template, and review a few Word templates. I went through every file, found more than the request covered, and sent back a long list of thoughtful questions. The agency decided to regroup. That quote taught me a lot about which questions belong before you price a job and which ones belong after you are hired.

I realize this list helps the people I may be bidding against. I am sharing it anyway, because I feel strongly that public documents should work for everyone who needs to read them. The more of us who quote this work clearly and honestly, the more of these documents actually get fixed.

This checklist goes with a recent episode of Rooted in Revenue, which we will post later this week.

Ask only what changes the price. Answer everything else yourself from the files, write it into the quote as an assumption, or save it for kickoff after you are hired.

Here is the episode from Rooted in Revenue:

Step one, check the files yourself

Do this before you write to the client. Most of what you would want to ask is already in the file.

  • Open File, Properties in Acrobat. Note the page count and the Application and PDF Producer. Word means a usable source probably exists. Visme, Canva, or a scanner means a rebuild.
  • On the same screen, check whether Tagged PDF says Yes or No.
  • Run Acrobat’s Accessibility Checker and the free PAC checker. Save both reports for your quote.
  • Try selecting text. If you cannot, the file is scanned and needs OCR, which costs more.
  • Count the charts, graphs, maps, and infographics. Note which ones print their numbers on the chart and which do not.
  • Read the alt text on five or six images. If it only repeats the caption or says “Graph of,” plan to rewrite all of it.
  • Count the data tables. Mark the complex ones with merged cells, two header rows, or tables that break across pages.
  • Spot-check contrast on colored boxes and light text with a contrast checker.
  • Look for full-page appendix repeats of charts. Those save time because you describe each chart once.
  • Check the agency’s style guide, if one is posted, for fonts, colors, and layout rules.

Step two, ask four questions at most

Send these in one short email. If a question would not change your price, it does not belong here.

  • Do you have the original source files, such as Word, InDesign, or Excel, and the data behind the charts?
  • When do you need it finished?
  • Is anything needed beyond what you listed, such as other languages or a web version?
  • Should I quote each document separately so you can approve them one at a time?

If they do not answer quickly, quote anyway using the assumptions below. A clear quote with assumptions beats a list of questions.

Step three, write assumptions into the quote

Each of these replaces a question. Paste the ones that apply into an Assumptions section of the quote. If the client disagrees, they will tell you, and you adjust.

  • Work meets WCAG 2.1 AA and PDF/UA.
  • The existing layout and content stay as they are, following the agency’s style guide where one exists.
  • I work from the source files if provided, or from the PDF if not.
  • Charts keep their current design. Recoloring or redesigning charts is a separate option.
  • I write the alt text and descriptions. The client’s subject expert reviews them for accuracy within five business days.
  • I do not verify the accuracy of the data or rewrite content.
  • One round of client revisions is included. Additional rounds are billed hourly.
  • Content changes after approval are billed hourly.
  • Deliverables are the accessible PDF plus the PAC and Acrobat checker reports showing it passes.
  • Translation, printing, and web publishing are not included.

Step four, quote a base price and list options

Good ideas go in the quote as optional add-ons, one line each, not as questions. The client can approve the base without deciding anything else.

Option When to offer it
Recolor charts to brand palette Charts are off-brand or fail color-blind checks
Data tables for complex charts Charts too dense for a short description
Responsive web version Documents are read mostly online or on phones
Print accessibility checklist for staff Client prints mailers or handouts
Large print version Client serves older or low-vision readers
Template fixes, not just a review Client asked for a review only

Note your listed purchasing limit next to the total. If the full scope runs over it, say so plainly and let the buyer decide how to purchase it. Do not split one project into smaller quotes to stay under a limit, because public purchasing rules usually prohibit that.

Step five, save these for kickoff

These matter, but only after you are hired. Asking them before the quote makes a simple job look complicated.

  • Who reviews alt text and chart descriptions for accuracy?
  • Where are the high-resolution logos and brand files?
  • Can you give me access to the chart software or data, such as Tableau workbooks or Excel files?
  • Who controls your web pages, and can they hold custom content?
  • Will printed versions also be posted online?
  • What paper and print vendor do you use?
  • What does your alternate formats statement say, and does it include a phone number?
  • Should the layout move to match the style guide, such as switching to two columns?

Hour benchmarks

These are starting points taken from the October 2026 healthcare study estimate. Adjust them as you track real hours on each job.

Task Time per unit
Acrobat cleanup of a tagged Word PDF 3 to 6 minutes per page
Acrobat remediation of an untagged, text-based PDF 10 to 20 minutes per page
Cleanup of converted text into a Word template 8 to 15 minutes per page
Rebuild of a designed piece in InDesign 2 to 3.5 hours per page
Alt text for a photo or simple image 5 minutes each
Alt text for a labeled chart 15 to 20 minutes each
Description plus data table for a complex chart 30 to 45 minutes each
Simple data table 15 to 20 minutes each
Complex data table with merged cells 45 to 90 minutes each
Chart recolor from source data 10 to 20 minutes each
Chart rebuilt by retyping numbers from an image 30 to 60 minutes each
Testing with PAC, Acrobat, and a screen reader about 10 percent of build hours
Revisions and project management about 10 percent of build hours
Word template review, written report 3 to 5 hours each
InDesign accessible template 24 to 36 hours

Guardrails and growing past small jobs

During the job

  • Put any new idea in writing as a change request with its own hours, and get approval before starting it.
  • Keep a running list of good ideas you notice. Do not raise them mid-job unless they block the work.
  • If a client delay pushes the schedule, note the date and the reason in an email.

After delivery

  • Deliver on time with the checker reports attached, so the buyer has proof it passes.
  • Two to four weeks later, send a short wrap-up with your idea list as recommendations, such as templates, a web version, or a print checklist. This is where the bigger work comes from.
  • Ask whether you can show a before-and-after of the work in your portfolio, with or without their name.
  • Ask the buyer which other offices in the agency publish reports. One good job is the best introduction to the next one.