Bugs happen. Ignoring them or treating them like second-class citizens in your backlog is what really breaks your sprint. Let’s talk about how to properly estimate bugs in Scrum without killing your team’s flow or velocity.
Should You Estimate Bugs at All?
Yes. Bugs take time. Time is effort. Effort should be estimated.
But not all bugs are created equal:
- 🐛 Minor cosmetic issue? Maybe just fix it.
- 🐞 Complex regression? Treat it like a regular story.
- 🚨 Production-critical? Deal with it immediately and track later.
Bottom line: Estimate bugs if they impact your team’s velocity or take more than ~15 minutes to fix.
How to Estimate Bugs in Story Points
Bugs are often more unpredictable than new features. Here's how to handle that:
- 📊 Use the same scale as features (e.g., Fibonacci).
- 🧠 Estimate based on investigation time, not just the fix.
- ⚖️ Balance clarity vs. speed — if unsure, assign a rough point and revisit.
Example:
Bug: "Login throws 500 after OAuth flow" Story Points: 3 (includes debugging, fixing, retesting)
Where to Put Bugs in the Sprint
You’ve got options:
- ⏩ In the sprint — if known before sprint planning.
- ⛔ Outside the sprint — for critical hotfixes (track separately).
- 📥 In the backlog — if not urgent, treat it like any other task.
Keep your board clean: don’t surprise the team mid-sprint with stealth bugs.
Common Mistakes with Bug Estimation
- ❌ Not estimating at all — wrecks your velocity tracking.
- ❌ Treating every bug as urgent — kills focus.
- ❌ Lumping bugs into a generic “bugfix” task — hides true complexity.
Don’t be lazy. Every bug is different. Give it the attention it deserves.
How ScrumPoker.it Can Help
Yes, you can estimate bugs too with ScrumPoker.it. It’s perfect for:
- 🔒 Anonymous voting when nobody wants to say “8”
- ⏱️ Fast estimations during backlog grooming
- 💬 Triggering discussions around complex bugs
Just toss the bug into the session and get consensus in seconds.
🎯 Try Estimating a Bug Now
FAQs
❓ Should bugs count toward velocity?
Yes. If they’re estimated and part of the sprint, include them.
❓ How do we estimate unexpected bugs?
You don’t. Track them separately (like an “unplanned work” tag), and review them in your sprint retrospective.
❓ What if QA finds bugs after sprint starts?
Triage them. If serious — fix and log them. If not — put them in the backlog for next sprint.
Final Thoughts
Bugs aren’t an afterthought — they’re part of development. Estimate them like you would any story, and your sprint planning will stay sane.
🛠️ Respect the bug. Estimate it. Track it. Fix it. Your team (and your velocity chart) will thank you.