c/scope-creep-solutions

My client went from 'just tweak the homepage' to 'redesign the whole site' in 2 weeks

Started with asking me to move a button 3 pixels left, ended with them wanting a full e-commerce checkout flow added for free. Has anyone else had a client try to sneak a total project change into a 'quick fix' request?

4 comments

wade_anderson•10d ago

I lost $700 on a driveway job because I didn't write down the extras

Guy hired me to pressure wash his driveway for $200. Simple enough. Then he asked me to do the sidewalk too. Then the patio. Then the garage floor. Four hours later I'm still there. I didn't say no because I wanted to be nice. He paid the original $200 and acted like I owed him the rest. How do you guys draw the line before it gets out of hand?

3 comments

caseywalker•10d ago

Showerthought: the $30 notebook that keeps me from working free

I spent $30 on a dedicated project notebook at Staples last week and started writing down every single client request as it comes in, even the tiny ones. Yesterday I showed a client their 7th "quick favor" from the last two weeks and they actually agreed to pay for the extra hours. Has anyone else found a cheap physical system that helps you track scope creep better than apps?

3 comments

hunt.hayden•10d ago

That moment I realized 'just one more small thing' had cost me $2,400 over 3 months

I was going through my invoices last night trying to figure out why my profit margin tanked on this one project. I had this client from back in May, a small e-commerce shop owner, and she kept asking for 'tiny tweaks' to the website. Like just add a button here, can you change this color, can you write a quick description for that product. I thought I was being nice and keeping the relationship good. But I sat down and counted - over 12 weeks she added 17 of those 'little extras' that took me anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour each. At my hourly rate of $75, that's almost $2,400 I just gave away for free. Found the breakdown in my Toggl tracker. Has anyone else had a client who acts like small favors don't add up?

3 comments

paige_bell81•11d ago

After a client added 14 new tasks mid-project at a Nashville coffee shop, I finally got it

I was sitting at Frothy Monkey in Nashville last spring, thinking I had everything squared away with this website redesign. Then the client pulls out a notebook with 14 new features they wanted, all for the same flat fee we agreed on 2 months earlier. I felt my stomach drop because I knew I had to either eat the extra work or look like the bad guy. That afternoon I went home and rewrote my whole contract to spell out exactly what each revision round costs and how many are included. I even added a line about 'change order fees' for anything new that pops up after the first draft. Now I send clients a simple checklist at the start so they see the boundaries before we begin. Has anyone else had a specific moment like that where a client pushed too far and you had to change your whole system?

3 comments

taylor_wells•13d ago

Hit 50 projects without any written scope of work and it finally bit me hard

I crossed 50 freelance web design projects last month without ever making a formal scope document. The 51st client in Portland kept asking for 'just one more page' until I was 12 pages over the original quote. So here's the debate: do you use a simple email list of deliverables, or a full legal-looking contract? I'm leaning toward the contract now. Has anyone else hit a number that forced them to change their process?

3 comments

lilyt23•14d ago

The week I started charging a fee for every single change request from a real estate client

I used to eat small tweaks like moving a wall 2 feet or swapping fixtures on a house plan for free because I thought it kept the relationship smooth. Then last August one client asked for 11 changes across 4 weeks and I spent 20 extra hours with zero pay. How do you decide which changes are small enough to cover and which ones need a new invoice?

3 comments

kelly_rivera•14d ago

Wasted $350 on a scope template pack that made everything worse

Bought that popular 15-page scope document template bundle last month and spent 3 hours customizing it for a client, only for them to ignore every section and add 4 extra deliverables anyway - has anyone else had templates just give clients more ammo to argue about what's included?

3 comments

martinez.paul•14d ago

TIL a simple add-on request form stopped my biggest problem

I used to just let clients text me little extras. 'Hey can you also clean the undercoat?' or 'My dog needs a nail trim too.' No extra charge. After a year of this I lost about $2,000 in free work. Finally made a one-page form listing all add-on services with prices. Now when someone asks for more I just hand them the sheet. They either pick something or drop it. No awkward talks about money. The form sits right next to the register. Works way better than hoping they'll offer to pay extra. Has anyone else tried a physical list instead of just saying 'that'll cost more'?

3 comments

parker_webb•15d ago

Realized a client's 'quick add-on' cost me 6 hours of labor last quarter

Found a stat that said 73% of scope creep comes from verbal requests rather than written ones, and it hit me that I've been nodding along to every 'hey while you're here' without tacking on a dime.

3 comments

shane170•15d ago

The "one quick thing" guy ruined my pricing for good

Had a client named Mark from a real estate firm in Phoenix who kept hitting me with 'one quick thing' after every deliverable. After the 4th round of unpaid extras I finally said 'sure, that'll be $75 for the revision.' He actually paused and asked for a scope rework after that. Has anyone else had luck just naming a price on the spot?

4 comments

paige_bell81•16d ago

That moment a client said 'just a small tweak' for the 7th time

I was on a call last Thursday with a graphic design client from Austin who kept asking for 'one more color change' after we already locked the final file. Each time she said it was minor, but by the end I had redone the same poster 3 times without any extra pay. Has anyone else had a client keep calling things 'small' even when they clearly add hours of work?

3 comments

morganl71•18d ago

Three years ago I let a client add "just one more page" for free. That page turned into 17.

It started with a small web design project back in 2021 for a local bakery in Portland. They asked for "just a contact form" after we agreed on the price. I said sure, no big deal. Then it was a photo gallery. Then a menu page. Then a blog section. By the time I stopped tracking, I had done 17 extra hours of work for zero pay. That one freebie cost me about $850 in lost time. Has anyone actually tried a hard limit like "three small additions included" and had it stick?

3 comments

joseph_bailey•20d ago

My buddy said 'just say yes and figure it out later' and it cost me $800 on one project

Last summer I had a regular customer ask me to redo their whole backyard deck layout after I already bought the lumber. Instead of sticking to the original plan I remembered what my friend Mike told me over beers, that you gotta be flexible. So I said sure no problem. Ended up wasting half the wood and had to buy another $400 in supplies plus my time was shot. Mike's advice works for some situations but not when the customer is changing the whole damn thing after you started. Has anyone else had a friend give them advice that totally backfired with scope creep?

3 comments

cora_west5•27d ago

Hit 87 small add-ons in one year before I wised up

I went back through my invoices for last year and counted every little 'oh by the way' request that I didn't charge for. There were 87 of them, stuff like resizing a graphic or rewriting a paragraph that added up to about 30 hours of free work. Has anyone else tracked this kind of thing and had a number that surprised them?

3 comments

mitchell.avery•27d ago

The magic number was 5 small asks before I finally said no

I tracked it for a month and realized clients would slip in an average of 5 extra tasks per project before even hinting at more pay. Once I started flagging that 5th ask, my profit margins jumped by about 15%. Anyone else notice a pattern like that?

3 comments