SCOPEKIT / PRACTICAL GUIDE
Five decisions before quoting a website
A page count starts the conversation. These decisions turn it into work you can estimate.
“Five pages” leaves plenty open. Before assigning a price, write down what you will deliver, what the client will supply, and how you will know the work is complete.
01
Name the content owner
Five pages of approved copy are different from five empty pages waiting for someone to write. Identify who supplies the text and images, in which format, and by what date. Record missing material as an open dependency, then connect it to the work that needs it.
Write down: “[Name] supplies final copy for the five named pages and approved images by [date]. Content loading begins when those files are ready.”
If copywriting is part of your work, estimate it explicitly. If it is not, say so in the scope.
02
Describe what a feature does
A contact form might email one inbox. It might also route requests, create CRM records, or accept attachments. The word “form” does not define those jobs.
Give each feature an observable completion check. “A test message reaches the agreed inbox” tells you what to verify. “Contact form included” leaves that decision open.
Write down: The fields, destination, success message, and error behavior. List integrations separately and identify who owns the accounts.
03
Define a feedback round
Agree who combines comments, what counts as a round, and which deliverable is being reviewed. One consolidated response to a named draft is different from separate instructions arriving from several people.
Write down: “[Name] returns one consolidated set of comments on the design draft within [number] working days. The estimate includes [number] design review rounds.”
Keep corrections against agreed completion checks separate from requests to change an approved direction. Record how either will be handled before work starts.
04
Separate ongoing costs
Domains, hosting, subscriptions, and maintenance continue after the build. List who owns each account, who pays, and which expenses are included in the one-off estimate. Describe paid assets accurately: a single purchase and a renewing subscription are different commitments.
Write down: A short list of each service, its account owner, its payer, and its billing period. Mark prices that still need checking.
Use platform invitations for access. Keep passwords and payment details out of project notes.
05
Agree how changes are decided
When extra work appears, compare it with the current scope. Record the request, its effect on cost and schedule, and the decision before beginning. You can offer a later phase when a request needs more discovery.
Write down: “For work outside the agreed scope, record the requested change, estimate its impact, and get a decision before implementation.”
A brief change record gives both sides the same reference when priorities move.