Is It Out of Scope? — Web development
Is upgrading a CMS to a new major version out of scope for a web development project?
Usually yes. It's native dev work, but a major-version upgrade is a significant, higher-risk undertaking beyond routine build or maintenance work.
This one's squarely technical, so the question isn't discipline — it's scale. A major-version upgrade means testing every plugin and custom code path for compatibility, which is a different order of effort than the original build or routine maintenance.
Is it out of scope?
Usually yes. Major-version upgrades carry real breaking-change risk and require dedicated testing across the whole site — beyond what a build or standard maintenance retainer typically covers.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Out-of-scope clause→ — Routine maintenance is covered by the engagement; a major-version platform upgrade is a defined project beyond that scope.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
A major-version CMS upgrade means testing every plugin and custom code path for compatibility — real project-level work rather than routine maintenance. I'll put together a scoped quote for it.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow distinguishes minor/patch updates (typically covered under maintenance) from major-version upgrades in incoming requests, flagging the latter as outside_scope given the added testing and compatibility risk.