How to handle design revisions without losing scope (freelancer guide)
Revisions are part of the job. Endless, unpaid revisions are not. Most freelance designers have had a “small website project” that quietly turned into six rounds of changes, dozens of emails, and a very small effective hourly rate.
This guide shows how to keep revisions under control, protect your scope, and still be easy to work with.
The real problem is unstructured, unlimited revisions
Clients are not wrong for wanting changes. The problems start when:
There is no clear limit on how many times they can ask for changes.
Feedback arrives on every channel: email, Slack, WhatsApp, calls.
Nobody tracks what was requested, what was changed, and what was approved.
You do not need to get stricter in a harsh way. You need a simple structure you can point to when you say “this is included” and “this is extra”.
1. Decide your revision rules before the project starts
It is much easier to prevent scope creep at the proposal stage than to fight it once the client is used to “one more tiny change”.
What to include in your proposal
In your quote or contract, write down:
What you will deliver.
Example: “Homepage and About page design for desktop and mobile.”
How many rounds of revisions are included.
Two rounds is common for most projects, three for bigger ones.
How extra revisions are billed.
Either per extra round or at your hourly rate.
Sample clause you can adapt:
“This project includes up to two rounds of consolidated revisions on the provided designs. A revision round is a set of changes requested at one time after a review. Additional revisions are billed at €X per round or €Y per hour, agreed in advance.”
When this is in writing, you have something clear to refer to later instead of arguing about what “should be included”.
Explain it in plain language
On the kickoff call or in a simple email, you can say:
“We will go through two rounds of revisions. The first round is for big picture direction, the second is for details. If we need more rounds after that, we can extend the project at my hourly rate.”
Most clients are fine with this if it is explained early and calmly.
2. Give each revision round a clear purpose
Unstructured feedback leads to “random tweaks forever”. Giving each round a purpose keeps both you and the client focused.
Here is a simple three round structure:
Round 1: Direction and layout
Check the overall concept, composition and hierarchy.
Ask questions like: “Does this feel on brand?” and “Is this the right general layout?”
Round 2: Content and detailed design
Refine copy, states, spacing, typography and other details.
Adjust based on the direction already agreed in Round 1.
Round 3: Polish only
Small visual tweaks and refinements.
No new concepts, no layout changes.
Use this language in filenames and communications:
Email subject: “Project name – Round 1 review”.
Version labels: “Home_R1”, “Home_R2”, “Home_R3_Final”.
When you talk about “Round 1” and “Round 2”, it feels like a finite process, not an open ended stream of requests.
3. Put all revision requests in one place
A lot of scope creep comes from feedback that is spread everywhere. One comment on Slack, one in a call, one in an email, one on WhatsApp.
Choose a primary feedback channel
You will not stop clients from sending the occasional quick message, but you can set a default:
One email thread per round, or
One shared document or sheet, or
A feedback tool where comments live on the design.
Explain it like this:
“To keep revisions organised and efficient, please collect feedback from your team and send it in a single message or document for each round.”
This encourages clients to consolidate their thoughts and reduces back and forth.
Use a simple revision log
Even a very small table is enough:
Round | Screen | Change requested | Priority | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Homepage hero | Change headline to “Design without chaos” | High | Yes |
1 | Pricing section | Add monthly plan toggle | Medium | In progress |
This becomes your reference when a client says “We never asked for that” or “Why is this taking so long”.
How Bindr helps here
Bindr removes most of the manual logging:
Clients click directly on the design and leave comments, pins and threads instead of writing vague messages.
Feedback is attached to a specific version of the file, not floating in a separate document.
When you resolve a comment, it is marked as done and stays in the history.
You get a built in revision log without copying and pasting feedback from different tools.
4. Recognise scope creep and know how to answer
Scope creep is any change that significantly expands the project beyond what you agreed at the start.
Examples:
New pages or flows that were not in the original list of deliverables.
A request to explore a completely new concept after approving the previous one.
Major brand changes in the middle of a project, such as a new logo or palette.
Turning a fixed project into ongoing strategy, copywriting or CRO.
You do not need to say “no” to these things. You just need to say “yes, and here is what it costs”.
A polite way to respond
Here is a template you can adjust:
“We have now finished the two revision rounds that were included in our agreement, and the version you approved in Round 2 is our current final design.
The new requests you mentioned (adding X page, exploring Y concept) go beyond the original scope. I would be happy to work on them. We can either add an extra revision round at €X, or set up a new mini project focused on these changes at €Y.
Let me know which option you prefer.”
You are not refusing to help. You are treating new work as new work.
5. Turn this into a reusable revision policy
Once you are happy with your rules, save them as a template. This stops you from negotiating revision terms from scratch on each project.
Here is a simple policy you can paste into proposals and adjust:
Revisions and scope
This project includes:
– [List of deliverables, for example two page designs]
– Up to two rounds of consolidated revisions on each design.A revision round is a batch of feedback submitted at one time after you review the designs. Revisions are intended to refine the agreed concept, not to start completely new concepts.
Additional revisions or new requests outside the original scope, such as extra pages or new directions, will be billed at €X per round or €Y per hour, discussed and approved in advance.
Once this is part of your standard process, every new client relationship starts with clearer boundaries.
How Bindr supports sane revision workflows
Bindr is designed around exactly these problems that solo designers and small teams deal with.
Version history that is made for design
Every file has a visible history from early drafts to final delivery.
You can label versions by revision round and add notes, so you always know what changed and why.
Feedback that lives on the design
Clients click on specific parts of a design to leave comments and start threads.
No more guessing which “button on the left” they are talking about.
When a change is done, you mark the comment as resolved and keep the record.
All of this per project, in one workspace
Files, versions, comments and approvals stay together, not scattered across apps.
When you reach the end of the included rounds, you can clearly show what was requested and delivered.
If you want your revision policy to be backed by an actual system, not just good intentions, you can join the Bindr waitlist and get a free month when it launches:
Quick answers to common questions
How many rounds of revisions should I offer?
For most fixed price projects, two rounds is a solid default. Very large or high budget projects sometimes include three rounds. More than that usually belongs in a retainer or hourly structure.
What if I did not mention revision limits in the current project?
For this project, you may need to be generous, but you can still start talking about rounds. For example: “Let us treat this as our second revision round. If we need more after this, we can add extra rounds at my hourly rate.” For future projects, add a clear clause from the start.
Will clients be turned off if I talk about extra fees for revisions?
Good clients see clear scope as a sign that you are organised, not greedy. You are not charging for reasonable refinement. You are charging when the project becomes something larger than what you both agreed to at the beginning.
How do I know which version the client actually approved?
At minimum, keep an email where they say “Yes, this is approved” and note which file that refers to. In Bindr, you can mark a specific version as approved inside the project, with all comments and decisions visible next to it.
What if the client changes the brief halfway through?
Treat the new brief as a new phase, not as part of the original quote. Acknowledge the change, restate the original scope, and then propose updated pricing and timing for the new direction.
Handled this way, revisions become a calm, predictable part of your process, not an endless drain on your time.