# Scope Guard: 10 worked scenarios Each one shows the contract excerpt, the client's message, the verdict, and the reply. Use them to calibrate the skill, or just steal the replies. Rates and prices are examples. --- ## 1. "Can you also do the Instagram versions?" (designer) **Agreement:** "Deliverables: primary logo, secondary logo, favicon. Formats: SVG, PNG, PDF. Social media assets are not included." **Client:** "Logo looks great! Can you also make the Instagram profile pic and a few story highlight covers?" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "Social media assets are not included." **Price:** 3–4 hrs × $90 = $360. +2 working days, final delivery unchanged if approved this week. > Glad you love it. The profile picture and highlight covers are a great next step. They're outside the logo package ("social media assets are not included"), so here's a quick add-on: profile picture + 6 highlight covers, $360, delivered 2 working days after you approve. Want me to add it? Reply yes and I'll send the invoice with the final files. **Short:** "Love that. Social assets aren't in the logo package, but I can do profile pic + 6 highlight covers for $360, 2 days. Want it?" --- ## 2. "Just a small tweak" after the last round (designer) **Agreement:** "Includes 2 rounds of revisions. Additional rounds billed at $75/hr, minimum 1 hour." **Context:** Both rounds used. Client approved v3 by email. **Client:** "Tiny thing: can we try the logo in navy instead of green, and a bolder font?" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "Includes 2 rounds of revisions. Additional rounds billed at $75/hr, minimum 1 hour." It's also a change of direction after approval. **Price:** 1–2 hrs → $150. > Happy to explore navy and a bolder font. We've used both included revision rounds and you approved v3 on Tuesday, so this would be a third round at $75/hr. I estimate 2 hours, so $150 max. I can turn it around by Thursday. Shall I go ahead? --- ## 3. A bug in the site you built (developer) **Agreement:** "Developer will deliver a responsive site that works on current versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge. 14 days of bug fixes after launch included." **Client (day 9):** "The menu doesn't open on my iPhone." **Verdict:** IN SCOPE. Evidence: "works on current versions of… Safari" + "14 days of bug fixes after launch included." It's a defect, not a change. > Thanks for flagging. That's a bug and it's covered under the 14-day fix window. I'll have it fixed and live by tomorrow 5pm and send you a quick video showing it working on iPhone. *(Owning your own bugs fast is what makes you credible when you do say "that's extra.")* --- ## 4. "While you're at it, can you add a blog?" (developer) **Agreement:** "Scope: 5 pages (Home, About, Services, Pricing, Contact). CMS for blog not included; can be quoted separately." **Client:** "While you're in there, can you add a blog so we can post updates?" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "CMS for blog not included; can be quoted separately." **Price:** 8–12 hrs × $110 = $1,320. +4 working days. Moves launch unless done as phase 2. > A blog is a smart move for SEO. It's not in the current 5-page scope ("CMS for blog not included"), so here are two options: > 1. Add it now: $1,320, launch moves from the 14th to the 20th. > 2. Launch on the 14th as planned, then add the blog in week 1 after launch (same price). > Most clients pick option 2 so launch doesn't slip. Which do you prefer? --- ## 5. "Can you make it more engaging?" (video editor) **Agreement:** "12 vertical videos, up to 60 seconds each, edited from client-supplied footage. 1 revision round per video. Feedback in a single consolidated list." **Client:** "These are good but can you make them more engaging? Maybe more zooms and effects?" **Verdict:** GREY AREA. "1 revision round per video" covers feedback, but "more engaging" across all 12 is a style change, not a correction. Has the round been used? Unclear. **Options:** (a) Treat it as the included revision round, if the client gives specific notes per video. (b) If they want a new editing style across all 12, that's a re-edit: 6–8 hrs × $70 = $560. **Recommend:** (a), but ask for specific notes. It turns vague into scoped. > Got it. Let's make them hit harder. This can be your included revision round. To get it right in one pass, could you send one list with what you want per video (timestamps help)? For example: "0:03 add zoom on product". If you'd rather I restyle all 12 with a new, faster editing style, that's a re-edit at $560 and I'd need 3 working days. --- ## 6. Extra raw footage arrives (video editor) **Agreement:** "Based on up to 2 hours of raw footage per batch. Additional footage review billed at $60/hr." **Client sends:** 5 hours of footage. "Here's everything, pick the best bits!" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE (partially). Evidence: "up to 2 hours of raw footage per batch." **Price:** 3 extra hrs of review × $60 = $180. > Thanks, footage received. The batch is based on up to 2 hours of raw footage, and this one is about 5. Two easy options: (1) I review all of it for +$180, or (2) you mark the 2 hours you care most about and I start today at no extra cost. Which works better? --- ## 7. "Can you post them for us too?" (marketer) **Agreement:** "Deliverables: content calendar, 20 written posts, 20 graphics. Scheduling and community management not included." **Client:** "Can you schedule these and reply to comments for the first week?" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "Scheduling and community management not included." **Price:** Scheduling 2 hrs + comments 30 min/day × 7 = 5.5 hrs × $80 ≈ $450. > Yes, I can take that off your plate. Scheduling and community management sit outside the content package, so I'd add it as a 1-week add-on: scheduling all 20 posts + replying to comments daily for 7 days, $450. If you want this every month, I can quote a monthly retainer, which works out cheaper per week. Want the one-week add-on? --- ## 8. "Can we jump on a quick call?" (any freelancer) **Agreement:** "Includes a kickoff call and 2 review calls (up to 45 minutes each). Additional meetings billed at the hourly rate." **Context:** 2 review calls already done. This would be the 4th call this month. **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "Additional meetings billed at the hourly rate." **Recommend:** Offer an async option first. Calls are where most unbilled hours go. > Happy to help. We've used the 2 review calls in the plan, so a quick fix: send me your questions here and I'll reply with a Loom walkthrough by tomorrow (no charge). If you'd rather talk live, an extra 45-minute call is $90 and I have Thursday 3pm or Friday 10am open. --- ## 9. "Can you connect it to our other CRM too?" (AI automation freelancer) **Agreement:** "Build an automation that sends website form leads to HubSpot, scores them with an AI step, and notifies sales in Slack. Integrations limited to: Webflow, HubSpot, Slack, OpenAI API. Monthly tool costs paid by client." **Client:** "Our Italy team uses Pipedrive. Can leads from Italy go there instead?" **Verdict:** OUT OF SCOPE. Evidence: "Integrations limited to: Webflow, HubSpot, Slack, OpenAI API." **Price:** Routing logic + Pipedrive integration + testing: 5–7 hrs × $120 = $840. +3 working days. > Makes sense to keep the Italy team in their own tool. Pipedrive isn't one of the integrations we scoped (Webflow, HubSpot, Slack, OpenAI), so it'd be a small add-on: country-based routing + Pipedrive connection + testing, $840, 3 extra working days. I can do it right after the HubSpot flow goes live so nothing is delayed. Shall I add it? --- ## 10. The contract says nothing (grey area, verbal deal) **Agreement:** None in writing. DM: "Can you design our landing page for $800?" "Sure!" **Client (after delivery):** "Now can you do the mobile version and two variants for A/B testing?" **Verdict:** GREY AREA. No written scope. Most clients expect a landing page to work on mobile, so treat mobile as IN SCOPE in spirit. The A/B variants are new deliverables, so OUT OF SCOPE. **Recommend:** Do mobile as goodwill and confirm the scope in writing. Price the variants. > Good call on the A/B test. I'll include the mobile layout as part of the original page. That's fair, since a landing page should work on mobile. The two test variants are new designs, so I'd do them at $250 each ($500 for both), delivered in 3 working days. > Just so we're both clear going forward: the $800 covered one landing page design (desktop + mobile), and anything new gets a quick quote first like this one. Sound good? **Fix for next time:** Never start without a one-paragraph scope in writing. Even a DM like "Confirming: 1 landing page, desktop + mobile, 2 revision rounds, $800, 50% upfront" counts as a record (whether it's a binding contract depends on where you are).