In our software development business, we are always asked for estimates on:
- How long is the project going to take?
- How much will it cost?
There is a simple to use online estimation tool at: http://www.cms4site.ru/utility.php?utility=cocomoii
It takes the lines of code and hourly rate as input:
Clicking the go button immediately gives you an effort and cost estimate:
You can fiddle with team skills and project complexity and see the result.
I know some people and organizations are adverse to counting lines of code, but after 17 years in this business and having tried several different estimation methods and models, I have to admit, using COCOMO II as an estimation model has proven in practice, at least for me, the most accurate way of estimating how long a project is going to take and how much it is going to cost.
You can read the extensive COCOMO II estimation model manual at:
http://csse.usc.edu/csse/research/COCOMOII/cocomo2000.0/CII_modelman2000.0.pdf