Freelance Change Order Template: How to Charge for Work Outside the Original Scope

Scope changes are inevitable. What is not inevitable is absorbing the cost of them.

A change order is a short written document that names the additional work, states the cost, and gets client approval before you begin. It is not a confrontation — it is the paper trail that makes the conversation short and the billing unambiguous.

When to issue a change order

Any request that falls outside the original brief, proposal, or contract warrants one. In practice, that includes:

• A deliverable added after the project started that was not in the original scope
• A direction change that requires scrapping and redoing completed work
• A tighter deadline that requires you to rearrange your schedule or work overtime
• A request framed as a small addition that, combined with others, has expanded the project significantly
• A revision request that goes beyond the revision rounds already included in your contract

If a client frames it as 'just a quick addition,' that is useful information — quick additions often take longer than they expect. A written change order creates a shared record of what was actually asked and what was agreed.

The template

Send this by email. A written reply approving it is sufficient — no signature required.

• Subject: Change Order #[Number] — [Project Name] | Hi [Name] — I want to document the additional work on [project name] and confirm the cost before I begin. What was added: [One or two sentences describing the new deliverable, change in direction, or expanded scope.] Why this is outside the original scope: The original project included [brief description from the original brief or contract]. The work above was not part of that agreement. Additional cost: $[Amount] ([flat fee or hourly breakdown, e.g., 4 hours at $[rate]/hr]). Estimated delivery: [Date or timeframe from approval]. Total for this change order: $[Amount]. To proceed, please reply to this email to confirm. I will begin once I have your written approval. Original project invoicing remains separate. — [Your name]

How to send it without hedging

Resist the urge to soften it — 'I'm sorry to bring this up' or 'I hope this is okay' undermine the document. The language above is neutral by design. You are describing what was requested and what it costs. That is a normal business transaction.

If a client pushes back, point to the original agreement: 'The original scope covered [X]. This request falls outside that — hence the change order.' You do not need to justify the cost beyond what the scope documentation shows. The work is either in the original brief or it is not.

Number them and keep a record

Number change orders sequentially per project — Change Order #1, #2, #3. When you reach final invoice time, every addition is accounted for and tied to a written approval. Clients rarely dispute additions they explicitly confirmed in writing.

If your billing setup tracks time and invoices per project, keep change orders in the same record so your final invoice reflects the complete scope. That is the version that closes without a back-and-forth.