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💰 Financial · Rex's Toolbox

FOIA / Records Request Cost Calculator

Estimate search, review, and duplication charges before you file.

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Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.

Try a scenario

Click to load — tweak from there.

Inputs

Result

Estimated fee

$218.00

Search time charges

$168.00

Duplication charges

$50.00

Review charges

$0.00

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How to use this

  1. 1Enter estimated search hours.
  2. 2Enter free search hours.
  3. 3Enter staff hourly rate ($).
  4. 4Enter pages expected.
  5. 5Enter free pages.
  6. 6Enter cost per page ($).
  7. 7Enter review / redaction charges ($).
  8. 8Read your estimated fee on the right — it updates as you type.
  9. 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.

About this calculator

Agencies bill for staff search time, page duplication, and sometimes review by counsel. Requester category changes what is free. Estimating first helps you narrow the request so it lands under the free tier.

FormulaCost = max(0, search hours − free hours) × rate + max(0, pages − free pages) × per page + review + media.

Worked example

Using the values the calculator loads with:

Inputs

  • Estimated search hours: 6
  • Free search hours: 2
  • Staff hourly rate: 42 $
  • Pages expected: 600
  • Free pages: 100
  • Cost per page: 0.1 $
  • Review / redaction charges: 0 $

Results

  • Estimated fee: $218.00
  • Search time charges: $168.00
  • Duplication charges: $50.00
  • Review charges: $0.00

What each field means

Inputs

Estimated search hours
The estimated search hours used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load.
Free search hours
The free search hours used in the calculation. Starts at 2 so you have a working example on load.
Staff hourly rate ($)
The staff hourly rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 42 $ so you have a working example on load.
Pages expected
The pages expected used in the calculation. Starts at 600 so you have a working example on load.
Free pages
The free pages used in the calculation. Starts at 100 so you have a working example on load.
Cost per page ($)
The cost per page used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0.1 $ so you have a working example on load.
Review / redaction charges ($)
The review / redaction charges used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 0 $ so you have a working example on load.

Results

Estimated fee
Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Search time charges
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Duplication charges
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
Review charges
Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.

FAQ

How do I keep the fee low?

Narrow the date range, name specific custodians, and ask for electronic delivery. Requesting records already posted online is the most common source of avoidable charges.

Who gets fee waivers?

News media, educational, and non-commercial scientific requesters typically get search time free, and public-interest waivers can eliminate fees entirely when disclosure benefits the public.

Accuracy and limitations

  • Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
  • Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
  • This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.

Cite this calculator

Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.

APA
RevenueLab. (2026). Public Records Request Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/public-records-request-cost
HTML
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/public-records-request-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Records Request Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Markdown
Source: [Public Records Request Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/public-records-request-cost) (2026).
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