Studio task · fictional worked example

Stop scope changes from eroding your margin.

A small request still takes time to design, build, and check. Compare its cost with the work already included, then agree the extra charge or a scope trade before starting.

Worked example: a $4,000 site with $320 left after labor

A fictional project with illustrative costs.

You quote $4,000 for a five-page site. Your cost basis is $80/hour and you estimated 35 hours ($2,800 cost), leaving $1,200 of margin. Then:

"Can we add a testimonials slider? Quick win." Three hours: design, build, test on mobile. Cost: $240.
"The about page needs the team photos redone." Four hours: reshoot coordination, retouching, layout rework. Cost: $320.
"Actually, let's add a blog template." Four hours: template, archive page, RSS, testing. Cost: $320.

Eleven extra hours add $880 in costs. That leaves $320 after labor, down from the estimated $1,200. Each request needs a price or a scope trade before work starts.

The method: every change gets a form

Spot it out loud. "That is outside the agreed scope. I will price it so you can decide."
Write the change request. What is requested, the hours it takes, the cost or what it replaces in the current scope. One page.
Offer the tradeoff, not just the bill. "The blog template adds four hours at $320. Dropping the unbuilt three-hour slider would reduce the extra charge to $80." Put the price and scope change in writing before starting.
Get a yes in writing before starting. Use the approval method in your contract. Wait for written approval before starting the extra work.
Log it against the project. Hours, date, approval. At the end you know exactly what the project really cost, which makes the next quote honest.

The exact conversation

Client: "While you're at it, could you just add a quick FAQ section?"
You: "That is outside the agreed scope. Here is what it takes. An FAQ section is about 2 hours: the build, the mobile check, and wiring it into the nav. That's $160, or I can swap it for something already in scope that matters less to you. Which do you prefer?"

This gives the client a price and an alternative. If neither works for them, keep the existing scope.

Where the method needs judgment

It cannot make an underpriced original scope profitable. Review your estimates as well as new requests.
It doesn't work without a written original scope. "We agreed" needs a document, not a memory.
Disputed scope may need a separate discussion or help under your contract terms.

The paid next step (only if you want the tool)

The method above is complete and free to use. If you want the paperwork done for you, the Project Scope & Change Request Templates include the scope agreement, the one-page change request form, and the tradeoff language described here. Preview everything before you decide.

Questions

Scope control, answered.

What counts as a scope change?

Anything not in the signed scope: new pages, extra revision rounds, added features, changed deliverables, or "while you're at it" requests. If it takes time and wasn't agreed, it's a change.

How do I charge for a scope change without damaging the relationship?

Offer the tradeoff, not just the bill: the change costs X hours ($Y), or it replaces something already in scope. Clients accept priced changes far more easily than surprise invoices.

What if the client refuses to sign a change request?

Keep working to the agreed scope. Explain the proposed change, price, and schedule impact, then wait for approval through the method in your contract.

How much can small changes cost?

In this example, eleven extra hours at $80/hour add $880 in costs. That reduces the amount left after labor from $1,200 to $320.

Part of the Pagemage library guides. Pairs with pricing the fixed project. Agree the original scope before tracking changes.