THE TACTIC

The project is underway. The scope was agreed, the price was set, and things are going well. Then the client sends a message: “While you’re in there, could you also…” It’s a reasonable request. It’s also not in the original agreement. So you do what almost every solo operator does: you say yes, fit it in, and don’t mention the cost, because bringing up money mid-project feels awkward. By the end, the project has quietly grown by 30 percent and the price hasn’t moved at all.

This is scope creep, and it rarely comes from a client trying to take advantage. Most clients genuinely don’t know where the edges of the project are. It’s your job to show them, and the moment to do it is when the request arrives, not when the final invoice does.

Why it works

A change order turns an awkward conversation into a routine one. You’re not refusing and you’re not complaining. You’re doing what any contractor, builder, or agency does: pricing the new work before starting it. When it’s a standard step in how you operate, clients accept it as normal, because it is.

It also protects the timeline, which is often the bigger issue. Added work pushes everything back. When the change order states the new delivery date alongside the new cost, the client can see both trade-offs at once, and sometimes they decide the extra isn’t worth it after all. Either answer is fine. What matters is that it’s their decision, made knowingly, instead of your unpaid time spent silently.

How to run it

Mention it in the original agreement. One line in your proposal or contract: “Requests outside this scope are handled with a written change order showing the cost and timeline impact before work begins.” That way the first change order doesn’t come as a surprise.

Keep the form short. Four lines: what’s being added, what it costs, how it changes the delivery date, and a spot for them to approve. An email works fine. The point is that it’s written and approved before you start.

Happy to add the second landing page. That’s outside the original scope, so here’s what it looks like: +$600, and the launch moves from Oct 14 to Oct 21. Reply “approved” and I’ll fold it in. Or we can save it for a phase two after launch.

Always offer the “later” option. Giving them the choice to hold the change for a second phase makes it easy to say no without feeling denied, and it quietly sets up your next project.

Decide your small-change threshold. Not every request needs paperwork. Pick a line, such as anything under 30 minutes gets done as a courtesy, and stick to it. Everything above that line gets a change order, every time.

The mistake most people make

Starting the work before the approval comes back. Once it’s done, the conversation shifts from “do you want this?” to “you owe me for this,” which is much harder. Wait for the reply. The other mistake is letting courtesies pile up. Five small freebies can add up to a bigger job than one paid change. Keep track, and once the courtesy time is spent, the next one gets a change order.