MOVE 38 · SCOPE CONTROL · FREE
Quote the Change Before Doing It
Give a written price and timeline impact for any change request before starting work on it, so nothing extra happens without agreement.
Work started before it is priced is work you will struggle to bill.
WHY IT WORKS
Once a change is delivered, its value to the client drops and their willingness to pay goes with it. A short written quote before starting — cost plus timeline effect — gives a clean yes or no, protects both parties from surprise invoices and creates a record of agreed changes.
WHEN TO USE IT
- A client sends a change request mid-project.
- You have been surprised by disputed invoices for extras before.
WHEN NOT TO USE IT
- Your contract includes a defined allowance for minor changes and this fits within it.
- The change fixes your own error.
SIGNALS IT FITS
- You start extra tasks to 'save time' and bill later.
- Final invoices often lead to tense conversations.
PREPARATION
- Create a one-paragraph change-quote template: change, cost, timeline impact, approval line.
- Agree with the client at kickoff that changes will be quoted first.
STEP BY STEP
- Acknowledge the change request.
- Send cost and timeline impact in writing within one working day.
- Wait for written approval.
- Start only after approval and log it.
OPENING LINE
“I'll send a quick change quote so you can decide before I start.”
SCRIPT
Adding the French translation is 1,800 and moves launch by four days. Reply 'approved' and I'll begin.
LIKELY RESPONSES & COUNTERS
- If they ask you to start while they get approval
- Offer to hold the slot for 48 hours, but begin only once approved.
- If they reject the cost
- Offer a reduced version or schedule it for a later phase.
SECOND MOVE
If approvals stall the project, use Make the Default Explicit for pending changes.
FOLLOW-UP
Keep a cumulative change log and include it with each invoice.
COMMON MISTAKES
- Quoting verbally only.
- Treating silence as approval.
WALK-AWAY CONDITIONS
- The client refuses to approve or pay for changes but continues to request them.
EXAMPLE (FICTIONAL)
A builder adopted written change quotes. When a homeowner asked for an extra window, the 1,400 quote went out the same day. She approved it, and the final invoice was paid without dispute.
ETHICAL BOUNDARY
Quote realistically. Inflating change prices because the client is dependent on you mid-project is opportunistic.
RELATED MOVES
Content version 1 · Drafted by Power Move IQ Editorial · Not yet human-reviewed · Educational decision support, not legal, financial or employment advice.