Reply to a "can you also..." request: scope creep email generator
A client asks for something outside what you agreed. Fill in four details and get a polite, specific reply you can paste into an email or chat: price it, trade it, or park it. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
What each reply does
- Price it says the request is outside the agreement, gives a fee and a time impact, and asks for a yes before you start. It is the default because it keeps the favour from becoming the new normal.
- Trade it keeps the budget and date fixed by swapping the new item for something already agreed. Good when the client is short on budget but flexible on content.
- Park it records the idea without committing to it, so it is not lost and not silently promised.
- Do it free, in writing is for a genuine goodwill gesture. Saying so in writing marks it as a one-off, so the next ask is not assumed to be free as well.
Tips for sending it
- Answer within a day. A slow reply to a small ask often turns into a silent yes.
- Name the original scope item the request sits next to, so the client sees why it is extra.
- Give one number and one date impact, not a range of options.
- Do not start the work until you have a written yes. An email reply is fine for small amounts; for larger ones, use a record with a timestamp.
Turn the yes into a record
The reply asks the client to confirm by email. If you would rather send one link where they type their name and press Approve or Decline, with the time and the exact terms stored, use the Change Order Desk app (free for 3 change orders). To work out what small extras cost you over a year, try the scope creep cost calculator, or write a fuller document with the free change order template. The wording here is a starting point, not legal advice.