Scope Creep Examples — Web design
A rebuild requested after the client's own mid-project pivot
The client changes their target audience mid-project, invalidating design work already built for the original audience, and expects a rebuild at no extra cost.
The site was designed around a specific target audience and messaging strategy the client provided at kickoff, and that work is largely complete. The client then decides — for reasons entirely internal to their business, unrelated to anything the agency did — to pivot toward a different target audience, which changes the tone, imagery, and messaging the whole design was built around. They expect the existing design to be reworked to fit the new direction as part of the current engagement.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Change order clause→ — A client-driven strategic pivot mid-project is exactly the kind of scope change this clause exists to price and approve before the rework starts.
Suggested change-order wording
Suggested change-order wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
The current design is built around the original audience and messaging direction from kickoff. Shifting to the new target audience means reworking imagery, tone, and likely some layout decisions that were made with the old direction in mind — this is a substantial revision beyond our current scope. I can put together an estimate for the rework once the new direction is finalized.
How this usually resolves
It helps to be specific about what carries over versus what needs rework (e.g., the layout structure may still work, but imagery and copy tone need to change) — this shows the client the estimate reflects real added work, not a blanket "everything changed" charge, which makes the number easier to accept.
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