Scoping Projects to Prevent Scope Creep

Scope creep rarely happens because clients are “bad.” It happens because the scope wasn’t clear enough for either side to recognize what “done” means.

This guide gives you a practical scoping structure you can reuse for most solo service projects.

The Goal: A Shared Definition of “Done”

A good scope answers:

• what you’re delivering
• what the client must provide
• what’s out of scope
• how changes are handled
• how feedback and revisions work
• how payment ties to milestones

A Simple Scope Document Template

1) Project summary (1 paragraph)

What problem you’re solving and what the end state looks like.

2) Deliverables (bullet list)

List outputs, not activities.

Example (hypothetical):

• “Landing page copy draft (v1)”
• “Landing page design (desktop + mobile)”
• “Implementation in [framework/tool]”

3) Assumptions and inputs

Spell out what you need from the client:

• access to systems/accounts
• existing brand assets
• copy/content ownership
• decision-maker availability

4) Out of scope

Write the “no” list. This prevents surprises later.

5) Timeline and milestones

Attach dates to deliverables, not to effort.

6) Feedback and revisions

Define:

• how many revision rounds are included
• what counts as a “round”
• how feedback should be delivered (one doc, consolidated)

7) Change control

When scope changes:

“We’ll capture the request, estimate impact, and agree on either (a) a change fee, (b) a timeline change, or (c) moving it to Phase 2.”

The Two Conversations That Prevent Most Issues

Conversation 1: “What will make this a win?”

Ask the client to describe success in their words. Then reflect it back in the scope.

Conversation 2: “What are we not doing?”

Have a quick out-of-scope discussion up front. It’s uncomfortable once and saves you many uncomfortable moments later.

What To Say When Scope Changes Mid-Project

Use a calm, default script:

“That makes sense. It’s outside the current scope. Do you want to treat it as a change (timeline/price updated), or should we park it for Phase 2?”

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