Table of contents5 sections
The project was meant to cover preparing a website. During the collaboration, however, more subpages appear, plus extra integrations, new versions of materials and revisions that were not included in the original quote.
Each request seems small. Together, though, they can mean dozens of extra hours of work, a drop in margin and delays to other projects.
This phenomenon is called scope creep: the gradual expansion of scope without a matching change in price, deadline or resources.
Why is the contract alone not always enough?
The problem often comes from an imprecise scope of work. Contracts contain general wording such as “marketing support”, “system implementation” or “preparing materials”, but they do not specify:
- the number of versions and revisions
- specific deliverables
- the hours limit
- the client’s responsibilities
- how changes are reported
- rates for extra work
The Polish Civil Code allows the parties to shape the content of a contract within the limits of the law, and an obligation should be performed in line with its content and purpose. So the more precisely the scope and the change procedure are described, the easier it is to determine whether a new task falls within the price.
How to limit unpaid extra work?
Describe the scope precisely
Instead of writing “preparing a website”, it is worth specifying the number of subpages, features, design versions, revision rounds and the elements supplied by the client.
The contract should state not only what the company will deliver, but also what the project does not include.
Introduce a scope change procedure
Every additional request should be:
- described
- estimated in time and cost
- accepted by the client
- added to the schedule
- billed separately or covered by an annex
If the contract requires a specific form for amending it, that form must be followed. The Polish Civil Code also regulates the form of supplementing and amending a contract.
Do not start work without approval
Most unpaid hours arise when the team immediately carries out a “small request” and its price is to be agreed later.
A safer answer is:
“This change goes beyond the agreed scope. We will estimate its cost and timing, and once you accept it, we will add it to the project.”
This is not a refusal to help, but a way of organising the collaboration.
Measure the time spent on revisions
The company should know how many hours are taken up by:
- client revisions
- additional meetings
- unplanned tasks
- waiting for materials
- redoing work that was previously accepted
Without measuring time, it is hard to prove that a project has exceeded its assumed budget.
How does Administy help control extra work?
Administy links revenue, cost and working-time data to a specific project.
This allows the company to:
- compare the hours budget with actual hours
- convert team time into real cost
- record extra work
- control budget usage
- monitor current and forecast margin
- check the cost needed to complete the project
- spot a project whose profitability is starting to fall
If additional revisions increase the number of hours, their impact on cost and margin becomes visible while the project is still under way. The company can then talk to the client earlier about a change of scope, price or deadline.
Summary
A contract will not protect the company from extra work if the scope is general and changes are carried out without a quote and approval.
An effective process should combine:
- a precise description of scope
- a limit on revisions or hours
- a procedure for reporting changes
- cost approval before work starts
- ongoing measurement of time and margin
Administy shows the financial impact of additional tasks on a project. This allows the company to stop scope creep before unpaid revisions consume the entire planned profit.
Important: this article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The contract wording and the procedure for billing extra work are worth discussing with a lawyer.
