The tool
Inputs:
- Average developer hourly rate (number)
- Number of developers (number)
- Rework hours per developer per week (number)
- Weeks per year (number, default 48)
Output: Estimated annual cost of rework, broken down per developer and across the team, with the equivalent in developer-weeks. Exportable.
Behavior: Calculates live in-browser, no login. Exportable.
How it works
1. Enter the dev rate. Average hourly cost of a developer.
2. Add team size and rework hours. Estimate hours lost to redoing work each week.
3. Read the annual cost. See the total and the developer-weeks equivalent.
4. Make the case. Use it to justify better handoff and design tooling.
A worked example
Eight developers, a loaded rate, four rework hours each per week. Across 48 weeks that lands in the six figures, and the developer-weeks equivalent is the line that lands in a leadership meeting: this is the equivalent of losing one engineer for months a year to redoing work. The number is directional, built on your own estimate of rework hours, but even a conservative input makes the case. Most of those hours trace to the handoff, which design-to-dev handoff problems maps in detail.
How Figr reduces rework
Most rework traces back to incomplete specs: missing states, undefined edge cases, designs that look done but are not buildable. Figr reasons through states and edge cases from your product context and hands engineering Figma-ready design on your system, so there is less to discover late and less to redo. The Figma integration keeps that work in editable layers rather than a flattened export engineers have to rebuild. Pair this with the dev handoff checklist and the design QA checklist to catch gaps before they reach a sprint, and the design debt calculator for the system-level cost.
Who this is for
This helps product leaders and engineering leads who want to price a recurring, invisible cost and fund the fix.
What this tool is not
It estimates the cost; it does not measure your actual rework hours for you. The total is only as honest as the rework estimate you enter, so use a number you can defend. It is also a free, standalone utility, not a Figr product feature.
FAQ
Is the developer rework cost calculator free?
Yes, free and no sign-up.
How is the cost calculated?
Rework hours per developer, multiplied by your dev rate, team size, and weeks per year, gives an estimated annual cost.
Is the number exact?
No. It is a directional estimate based on your inputs, useful for sizing the problem.
How do I reduce rework cost?
Clearer specs, complete handoffs, and designs that account for edge cases. Figr is built to help with all three.
How is this different from Figr the product?
This is a free calculator. Figr the product is an AI product designer that turns product context into UX decisions and Figma-ready design.