How to Respond to a Client Scope Change Request

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SOLOHATCH FIELD GUIDE · OFFERS AND CLIENTS

When a client asks for a scope change, acknowledge the request, compare it with the agreed work, explain its effect, and ask for a clear decision before starting the changed work.

You do not need to accept every addition immediately or reject it as a problem. The useful question is what the client wants to change and what that changes for the project. Use the process and messages below to keep the conversation specific.

First, identify the decision you need

Read the current scope and the actual request together. Record the document version you are using. A message called a “small tweak” may add a new deliverable; a long message may describe a correction you already owe under the agreed scope. Assess the work rather than the label.

• Correction: something does not match an agreed input or completion check.
• Included revision: the request fits the agreed deliverable and review boundary.
• Proposed change: the request adds an output, replaces an approved input, changes the intended use, or requires work beyond that boundary.
• Unclear: you need an example or a more precise description before classifying it.

These categories are a planning aid. Use the scope and terms actually agreed for the project. If the original wording is ambiguous, identify the ambiguity and resolve it together instead of pretending it establishes a clear boundary.

A five-step response process

1. Restate the request. Name the new output or change in your own words. Ask what purpose it serves and whether it replaces an existing item.
2. Check the baseline. Quote or link the relevant deliverable, approved input, or review stage. Keep the explanation short and factual.
3. Assess the effect. Check new inputs, effort, dependencies, fees where applicable, and delivery timing. Include the effect on work already underway.
4. Offer workable choices. For example, retain the original scope, replace an agreed item, or define an additional stage. Offer only choices you could actually deliver.
5. Record the decision. Update the scope version and your work plan after the decision is confirmed through the agreed process.

If you cannot yet assess timing or price, say what you need to check. Avoid agreeing to an unchanged deadline simply because the new request sounds straightforward. Identify which existing work can continue without creating avoidable rework.

Adaptable email: acknowledge and clarify the change

Subject: Decision needed on [project] change request

Hi [Name],

My understanding is that you would like [specific change]
so that [stated purpose]. Please correct that if needed.

Our current scope, [version/date], covers [relevant item].
The request would [add/change/replace] [specific output].

Before I confirm the effect on [timing/fee/inputs],
I need to check [missing detail or dependency].

The options I can assess are:
A. Continue with [original deliverable].
B. Replace [existing item] with [new item], subject to
   confirming the work and timing involved.
C. Define [additional deliverable] as a separate stage.

Which option best matches your priority?
I can continue [unaffected work] while we decide.
I will wait before starting [affected work].

Best,
[Name]

Remove options that do not fit. Replacing one item with another does not automatically mean the effort or price stays the same. If you already know the effect, replace the assessment sentence with a clear proposal and ask for confirmation.

Filled change log: adding social graphics to a PDF project

Illustrative example: a solo designer is producing a two-page service overview. After reviewing the draft, the client asks for three social graphics using the same material. This is a hypothetical project, not a SoloHatch customer result.

CHANGE: CR-01 — three social graphics
BASELINE: Service overview scope v1, two-page PDF only
REQUESTED PURPOSE: Share the services in social posts
CLASSIFICATION: Proposed additional output
NEW INPUTS: Target dimensions and approved text per graphic
EFFECT: New layouts, an extra review and export checks
TIMING/FEE: Not confirmed; assess after dimensions arrive
OPTIONS: Keep PDF only / add graphics as a separate stage
DECISION OWNER: Client's named approver
CAN CONTINUE: Correct supplied contact details in PDF
ON HOLD: Final export if service wording will change
STATUS: Awaiting dimensions and decision; not approved

The designer can explain that reused text does not remove the layout and review work. The log also avoids an unnecessary full stop: correcting an unrelated contact detail can continue. The final export waits only if a pending wording decision could make that export obsolete.

Close the loop after the decision

Send a short confirmation naming the chosen option, the revised scope version, required inputs, affected dates, and any fee decision. Keep unresolved points visible. Make sure the person planning the work uses the same version as the client.

If the change is declined, record that the original scope continues. If the project is paused, state which work is paused and what decision will restart it. Do not treat silence as approval or quietly turn an unconfirmed request into a delivery commitment.

Your next step

Copy the change log for one request and write the decision needed in a single sentence. If you cannot do that, clarify the request before estimating the added work.

Use the project scope template to check the baseline. The free Project Scope Builder can help draft a clearer outline; keep your agreed version and change record alongside it. Explore more Offers and Clients guides or return to all SoloHatch guides.

This guide was developed with AI assistance for SoloHatch, operated by My Target Limited. Examples are illustrative, and templates should be adapted to your situation. About SoloHatch.