The project went over budget because the client kept changing their mind. Now they're questioning the final invoice total. This is why a clear scope of work is so important.

Invoicing & Payments for Service Professionals
1

I had a client who changed their mind constantly. Each week brought new requests and modifications. Now that the final invoice is sent, they’re shocked by the total.

If only we had a well-defined scope of work from the beginning, this could have been prevented. Learned this lesson the hard way.

2

Make your scope document bulletproof. I’ve got a clause that stops all work the second they ask for anything outside the original scope. No new work happens until we agree on new terms and payment. I make clients initial every single page before we start. It sounds overkill, but it saves my ass. When they call wanting changes, I just point to what they signed. Get half the money upfront. Trust me, it makes those final payment conversations way smoother.

3

Had this happen twice. Now I just stop work and ask for payment before doing anything extra.

4

Stop working when clients want changes. Tell them the extra costs right away - no surprises.

I always warn clients that changes mess with timelines and budgets. Being upfront from day one helps them get it.

5

Been dealing with this exact mess for years. What finally worked for me was switching to milestone billing instead of one big invoice at the end.

Break the project into chunks and bill after each phase gets approved. When they want changes during phase 2, I quote it separately and they pay before I touch it. No more sticker shock at the end.

Also started using a simple change order form. Just one page with the request, time needed, and cost. Makes everything official without being fancy about it.

The clients who respect boundaries stick around. The ones who don’t usually aren’t worth keeping anyway.

6

Yeah I just quote extra work on the spot.

7

I charge for changes upfront. No exceptions.

Client wants extras? I quote them first. They approve and pay before I touch anything. Keeps things clean and prevents surprises.

8

This hits close to home. I’ve been there way too many times.

What saved me? I started documenting every single change request:

  • Quick email confirming each new request
  • Time estimate and cost impact included
  • Written approval before I start anything
  • Weekly updates on the running total

The trick is showing clients the dollars adding up in real time, not dumping it on them at the end. Most people honestly don’t realize how those “small” changes snowball.

I also build buffers into my initial estimates now. Clients always want something extra.