Scope creep email template.

The Slack already landed. “Can you also add a checkout?” You are on a fixed price. You feel rude charging. Copy this, fill the brackets, send it.

Steal this

Subject: Extra work on [Project], with a price

Hi [Client],

Thanks for the note. I can do the extra you asked for on [Project].

What we already agreed:
[Original scope in one or two sentences]

What you asked for just now:
[Paste the Slack or email. “Can you also…”]

That sits outside the original scope.

Fee: [Amount, or hours at your rate].
Timeline: [No change / +X days].

I will start as soon as I have your written approval. A reply to this email is enough.

Thanks,
[Your name]

How to charge a client for extra work

Do it the same day. Waiting makes the extra feel like it was always included.

Quote the ask in their words. “Can you also…” is the evidence.
Restate the original scope in one breath. Not a lecture. A line.
Name a number. Hourly or flat. Silence is a discount.
Say when work starts: after written approval. A reply counts.

Why this feels rude (and why it is not)

Independent designers, developers, and consultants get paid for a defined job. A new page, a new round, or a new integration is a new job. Naming the price is how you stay a shop, not a favor.

You do not need a lawyer. You need a clear email and, if you want a signature, a one-page change request.

What not to write

“Happy to squeeze this in.” That trains them to keep squeezing.
“This might cost more.” Might is how you look cheap.
“Sorry to even ask.” You are not asking for a favor. You are pricing work.

Fill it with your numbers.

The template above is free. The generator writes the email in your tone and a one-page PDF with signature lines. Work starts after they approve.

Open the change request tool