Scope protection guide

Freelance change orders: a practical guide

Learn when and how freelancers should use change orders for additional project work.

A change order is a short agreement that records a requested project change before the extra work begins. It complements the original contract rather than replacing it.

What a useful change order includes

• The client and project.
• The requested change and added deliverables.
• Why it differs from the agreed scope.
• Estimated effort, additional fee and timeline impact.
• Assumptions and an approval decision.

When to send one

Use a change order when a request introduces new pages, features, integrations, revision rounds or delivery commitments. Keep the language neutral and the approval step simple.