Is It Out of Scope? — Web design
Is providing ongoing maintenance after project close out of scope for a web design project?
Yes, without a separate agreement. A closed design project doesn't carry an implied ongoing update commitment.
Weeks or months after final sign-off and invoice, a client emails asking for a small layout tweak or a swapped image — reasonably, since it feels minor, but the project it belonged to has already closed.
Is it out of scope?
Yes, unless a maintenance retainer or ongoing agreement is in place. A closed, invoiced project doesn't carry an implied commitment to keep making free updates afterward.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Hosting and maintenance clause→ — Defines what post-launch work, if any, is covered — absent an ongoing maintenance agreement, requests after project close fall outside it.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
That project closed out with final sign-off, so ongoing tweaks like this would fall under a maintenance arrangement — I can put together a small monthly package if that'd be useful going forward.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow flags update requests outside_scope once a design contract's status shows the project closed and no maintenance agreement is on file.