Scope Clauses
Filter plain-English contract clauses by your billing model or common project risks. Copy and paste what you need directly into your proposal.
Contract type
What are you solving?
Defining the work
The most essential clause. Anything omitted from this list requires a new quote.
The work covered by this agreement is strictly limited to the deliverables listed in Schedule A. Any items not described there fall outside the scope of this agreement and will be quoted separately before work begins.
Explicitly listing what you are not doing prevents costly client assumptions.
The following services are expressly excluded: [LIST EXCLUSIONS]. If you require any of these services, I am happy to provide a separate proposal and quote.
Creates a formal, frictionless process for accepting extra work at an additional price.
Either party may request a change to the scope of work. Requested changes will be confirmed in writing with an updated fee and revised timeline before any change takes effect. No change is binding until agreed in writing by both parties.
Protects fixed prices by turning invalid assumptions into re-quotes instead of disputes.
This fee is based on the following assumptions: [LIST ASSUMPTIONS]. If any assumption proves invalid, I will notify you promptly to agree on a revised fee and schedule before continuing.
Revisions and approval
Cap client feedback rounds to prevent endless, unpaid project iterations.
This fee includes [NUMBER] rounds of revisions per deliverable. A revision round consists of one consolidated set of feedback. Additional revision rounds are billed at [HOURLY RATE] per hour.
Prevents feedback from arriving in piecemeal messages from multiple stakeholders.
Feedback must be delivered as a single consolidated document per review round. Contradictory or piecemeal feedback from multiple team members may be treated as an additional revision round.
Designates a single approver to prevent late-arriving stakeholders from derailing work.
[NAME] is designated as the sole approver for this project. Feedback from other team members will be acted upon only after written confirmation from [NAME]. Introducing an additional approver after work begins constitutes a change in scope.
Prevents completed deliverables from sitting unapproved and unpaid indefinitely.
If written feedback is not received within [NUMBER] business days of delivery, the deliverable will be deemed approved, and the project will proceed to the next phase.
Ensures signed-off work cannot be altered later without an additional fee.
Once a deliverable is approved, any subsequent modifications constitute new work and will be quoted separately, regardless of overall project status.
Time and delays
Ensures client delays push delivery dates rather than forcing uncompensated rush work.
Delivery schedules depend on receiving necessary assets, access, and decisions within [NUMBER] business days of request. Client delays will extend the final delivery date by an equivalent duration.
Prevents a stalled project from blocking your calendar without compensation.
If a project is paused by the client for more than [NUMBER] business days, resuming work is subject to schedule availability and a restart fee of [AMOUNT]. Projects paused beyond [NUMBER] days will be considered canceled.
Prevents unused retainer hours from accumulating into impossible future workloads.
This monthly retainer covers up to [NUMBER] hours. Unused hours do not roll over to subsequent months. Additional hours beyond the monthly allocation are billed at [HOURLY RATE] upon prior approval.
Secures income predictability by requiring advance notice before ending a retainer.
Either party may terminate this agreement by providing [NUMBER] days written notice. Retainer fees for the notice period remain payable in full regardless of whether work is requested.
Getting paid
Secures commitment and verifies payment reliability before committing labor.
A deposit of [PERCENTAGE]% is required before work begins. The remaining balance is due upon project completion. Work will be scheduled once the deposit payment clears.
Gives you the explicit legal right to halt work if invoices go unpaid.
Invoices are payable within [NUMBER] days of issue. Overdue accounts accrue interest at [RATE]%. I reserve the right to suspend active work on overdue accounts, with project timelines adjusted accordingly.
Disclaimer: These clauses are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Contract requirements vary by location. Consider having a qualified attorney review your final agreement terms.