Estimates for the lifespan of classical solutions to the three- dimensional compressible isentropic Euler equations with initial data representing a perturbation of order \(\varepsilon\) from a constant state are derived. It is shown that the lifespan \(T_ \varepsilon\) satisfies a lower bound of the form \(T_ \varepsilon>\exp(C/\varepsilon)\) provided that the initial data is irrotational. In the general case, the lower bound \(T_ \varepsilon>C/\varepsilon\) is obtained along with uniform bounds which allow, after a change of scale, to pass easily to the incompressible limit on a uniform time interval. Results on the location and nature of potential singularities are also given.