In today’s dynamic environment, there is a need like never before for clinical data. In addition to IDE’s, companies are finding themselves doing clinical studies for 510(k) products as well as market approved products. Once the protocol is written and the sites are being selected, the next big task is developing a site budget that is comprehensive and defensible. This can be an overwhelming task, especially if you are a not an accountant and are uncomfortable with developing budgets. This paper will provide an overview of clinical study site budgets, describe the importance of creating a defensible study budget, provide a process for building a site budget and discuss tips for negotiating the budget.