Is It Out of Scope? — Web development
Is redesigning the homepage after launch out of scope for a web development project?
Yes. If the build shipped against an approved design and the client now wants the homepage rebuilt to a different design, that's a new build, not a bug fix or leftover task from the original project.
The build shipped, matching the approved design files, and has been live for a while. Then a request comes in to rebuild the homepage — sometimes because the design itself is changing (a new agency did a redesign and now needs it implemented), sometimes because the client wants structural changes (a different layout, a new CMS-driven hero) that go well beyond what "maintenance" usually covers. Either way, it's development work against a page the SOW already delivered and closed.
Is it out of scope?
Yes. The build was completed and delivered against the agreed design and functional spec. Rebuilding the homepage post-launch — whether to implement a new design or restructure the existing one — is a new development task, not a continuation of the original build or a covered maintenance item.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Hosting and maintenance clause→ — Defines what ongoing post-launch work is covered (typically bug fixes, security patches, uptime) — a homepage rebuild is well beyond that scope.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
The homepage build shipped to the approved spec on [launch date], and our maintenance agreement covers bug fixes and updates, not a rebuild to a new design or layout. This would be scoped as a new development project — happy to put together an estimate once we've got the updated design or requirements to work from.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow distinguishes maintenance-covered work (bug fixes, minor updates) from new build work using the contract's extracted maintenance terms, not just whether the request touches the homepage. A rebuild request is flagged outside_scope with the explanation naming the specific gap — "maintenance covers fixes to the existing build, not a structural rebuild" — so the account manager has a ready answer instead of having to draw that line themselves under time pressure.