Context Web engineering is a new research field which utilizes engineering principles to produce quality web applications. Web applications have become more complex with the passage of time and it's quite difficult to analyze the web metrics for the estimation due to a wide range of web applications. Correct estimates for web development effort play a very important role in the success of large-scale web development projects.

Objectives In this study I investigated size metrics and cost drivers used by web companies for early web cost estimation. I also aim to get validation through industrial interviews and web quote form. This form is designed based on most frequently occurring metrics after analyzing different companies. Secondly, this research aims to revisit previous work done by Mendes (a senior researcher and contributor in this research area) to validate whether early web cost estimation trends are same or changed? The ultimate goal is to help companies in web cost estimation.

Methods First research question is answered by conducting an online survey through 212 web companies and finding their web predictor forms (quote forms). All companies included in the survey used Web forms to give quotes on Web development projects based on gathered size and cost measures. The second research question is answered by finding most occurring size metrics from the results of Survey 1. List of size metrics are validated by two methods: (i) Industrial interviews are conducted with 15 web companies to validate results of the first survey (ii) a quote form is designed using validated results from industrial interviews and quote form sent to web companies around the world to seek data on real Web projects. Data gathered from Web projects are analyzed using CBR tool and results are validated with Industrial interview results along with Survey 1.  Final results are compared with old research to justify answer of third research question whether size metrics have been changed. All research findings are contributed to Tukutuku research benchmark project.

Results “Number of pages/features” and “responsive implementation” are top web size metrics for early Web cost estimation.

Conclusions. This research investigated metrics which can be used for early Web cost estimation at the early stage of Web application development. This is the stage where the application is not built yet but just requirements are being collected and an expected cost estimation is being evaluated. List of new metrics variable is concluded which can be added in Tukutuku project.