[feature]: Add time estimates to work items (not effort estimates)
@vihar is already working on this.
Since Oct 30, 2025.
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Description
Is there an existing issue for this?
- I have searched the existing issues
Summary
Problem
Plane currently has ok time tracking capabilities, but lacks time estimation. While Plane offers "estimate points" for effort/complexity, these are not directly translatable to hours. This makes it difficult to plan sprints, manage client expectations, and track budget burn rates for projects. I'd like to keep time estimates and effort estimates separate.
Current behavior
- Estimate points measure effort/complexity, not time
- No way to set estimated hours on work items
- Cannot compare actual vs estimated time
- Sprint planning for agencies requires manual hour calculations outside Plane
Expected behavior
- Add 'Time Estimate' property to work items (separate from estimate points)
- Display estimate alongside tracked time in all views
- Optionalle show variance/delta between estimated and tracked time (e.g. percentages)
- Enable filtering:
time-estimate:>4h,over-estimate,under-estimate - Sum estimates at parent/work items overview level
Use case
As an agency planning a sprint, I need to:
- Set both complexity points AND hour estimates (a 1-point bug might take 4h, while a 1-point feature takes 1h)
- See if we're over/under budget per feature
- Know if a 40-hour sprint is actually 60 hours of estimated work
Why should this be worked on?
Story points and time estimates serve different purposes. Points help with velocity planning, while hour estimates help with resource allocation and billing. Having both as separate properties would make Plane suitable for both product teams and agencies.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Assessment
This issue has not been assessed yet.