How to Price Extra Client Requests (Without Guessing)

Method 1: Hourly estimate

Estimate the hours, then multiply by your rate. Add 20% for communication, testing and the small surprises every change brings. Example: 4 hours × $80 = $320, plus 20% = $384, round to $380.

Method 2: Proportional to the original scope

If the original project was 5 pages for $2,500, each page is roughly $500. A sixth page at a similar size is about $500. Clients find this easy to accept because it matches what they already agreed to.

Method 3: Fixed add-on prices

Publish a short menu of common extras: extra revision round $150, rush delivery +25%, additional page $450. Clients can pick without negotiating, and you answer requests in seconds.

Don't forget the timeline

Extra work also pushes other work back. Always state the new deadline alongside the price. If the client needs the original date and the extra work, that's a rush, and rushes cost more.

How to present the price

Show the before and after next to each other: original budget, change, new total, and the same for the deadline. Seeing the full picture makes the decision feel fair rather than sudden.

“Adding the ordering page brings the project from $3,500 to $4,100 and moves launch from Nov 15 to Nov 20. Want me to go ahead?”

Let the tool do the math

Greenlit tracks your original budget and deadline, adds each approved change automatically, and shows clients the side-by-side difference before they sign. Every change gets priced, approved and billed before you start.