Change order template for freelancers
A change order is the short written note that says "this was not in the original scope, here is what it costs and how many days it adds, and the client agreed". Fill in the boxes below and copy the text into an email, or use the Change Order Desk to send an approval link instead.
Your change order
Nothing you type here leaves your browser. It is plain text assembly, with no storage and no server.
What a good change order contains
- The request in the client's words. Quote what they asked for, so there is no argument later about what "also" meant.
- What is in and out. Say which part of the original agreement it sits outside.
- The extra fee and the extra days. Both. A client who agrees to the price and ignores the deadline will remember only the price.
- A yes or no from a named person. A reply that says "sounds good" in a long thread is hard to find. A dated answer to a single request is easy.
- Nothing starts until the answer is in. Say so in the text.
When to write one
Write one the moment a request would take more than a few minutes, touches something already approved, or adds a new deliverable. Small favours can stay favours, but say so out loud. The guides we read, for example Grey's piece on freelance scope creep, describe the same pattern: record the request, price it, get written approval before starting, and keep a log.
Sending it as a link instead
The Change Order Desk app turns the same fields into an approval link. Your client opens it, types their name and presses Approve or Decline. You get the time of the answer and a fingerprint of the exact terms they saw. It is free for 3 change orders. This page and the app are planning and record-keeping tools, not legal advice, and a typed name is not a certified electronic signature.