Change order
The note you send before the extra starts. It names the new work, the fee, and any new date, and it asks for a written yes.
Extra work and billing
Change order vs invoice for freelancers
A change order prices extra work before you do it. An invoice bills work already done, or work you already agreed to do. Mix them up and the extra becomes unpaid scope creep. Not legal advice, and not a substitute for a contract lawyer.
The rest of the change-order guides are on the change orders hub. Wording for the yes is on the change-order email page.
What is the difference between a change order and an invoice?
A change order prices extra work before you do it. An invoice bills work already done or already agreed. A change order asks for a written yes. An invoice asks for payment of a yes you already have.
The order matters. Name the extra, price it, and get a yes. Then do the work. Then invoice it. If the invoice is the first time the client sees the extra, you already did the work on a hope.
Side by side
Invoice
The bill for work already done, or for work you already agreed to do. It asks for payment. It does not ask permission to start something new.
When, what it covers, and the yes
- When. Send a change order before the extra work. Send an invoice after the work is done, or on the date you already agreed for the original job.
- What it covers. A change order covers new work that was not in the original scope. An invoice covers work already done or already agreed.
- Written yes. A change order needs a yes on the extra, the fee, and any new date before you start. An invoice collects payment for a yes you already have. The invoice is not that yes.
When to send a change order instead of an invoice
- The client asked for something that is not in the scope you both agreed.
- You have not started that extra yet.
- The fee or the date would change if you said yes.
- You want the yes in writing before the work, not a surprise line on a later bill.
Send the invoice when the work is the job you already sold, or when a change order for the extra is already agreed. The original invoice can stay on its own schedule. The extra gets its own yes first.
Extra work before the invoice
Extra work before the invoice is a pause, not a bill. Stop. Write the change. Wait for the yes. Then do it. Put it on an invoice only after that yes. Starting the extra and billing it later is how the work goes unpaid.
A one-page pass for spotting that ask is the free scope creep checklist. Get the free checklist. To log the ask and price a fee, use the ScopeGuard tracker (€9). For a longer set of scripts, the Email Pack (€5) sits next to the short email skeleton.
A short change-order note
Six lines. Fill in the ask, the fee, and the days. Send it before you start.
Hi Alex — The extra landing section is outside the work we already agreed. Change order: €450 and five business days. I start after you reply yes. The original invoice stays on the schedule we already set. I will not bill this extra before that written yes. — Jordan
If the original job still needs a written offer before any of this, that is a proposal, not an invoice. Proposal Studio (€5) is the Notion template for that step.
Start with the free checklist
The free scope creep checklist is the one-page scan before kickoff. How to use it. Then log and price the extra with the ScopeGuard tracker (€9), and send the yes with the Email Pack (€5) or the note above. More pages in this set are on change orders.
FAQ
What is the difference between a change order and an invoice?
A change order prices extra work before you do it. An invoice bills work already done or already agreed. A change order asks for a written yes. An invoice asks for payment of a yes you already have.
When should I send a change order instead of an invoice?
Send a change order when the client wants work that was not in the original scope and you have not started it. Send an invoice when the work is already done or already agreed, on the schedule you set. Do not use an invoice as the first time they hear about the extra.
What do I need a written yes for before I invoice extra work?
The extra work, the fee, and any change to the date. Get that yes on the change order before you start. The invoice comes after, for work that yes already covers, or for the original job on the schedule you already agreed.