When website scope changes after a quote has been approved, write down the request and ask the provider how it affects costs, delivery dates and work in progress. Then decide whether the change is essential for launch or can go into a later phase.
Imagine your company website is being built with a standard enquiry form. Two weeks before launch, sales asks to let customers pick their own consultation slots. On screen, this looks like adding a date selector. Behind the scenes, the team needs to decide which calendar to use, who receives notifications and what happens when two customers pick the same slot.
Identify what kind of change you are requesting
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| The agreed form does not deliver messages | Record the steps that reproduce the issue and check the original acceptance criteria with the provider. |
| Service copy changes within the existing layout | Check whether the agreed revision rounds cover it and who will supply the final wording. |
| The form now needs to check slot availability | Ask for a separate scope covering the calendar source, booking confirmation and required tests. |
Ask about the impact before you decide
Ask four things: what changes, what depends on it, what it adds to or saves on costs, and whether it moves the delivery date. Also check which work can continue. Booking changes might hold up form testing while the company profile pages can still go ahead.
Choose whether to add, swap or defer the feature
If bookings are essential on launch day, request a revised schedule that includes testing. If the budget is fixed, discuss deferring another item and ask the provider to confirm the cost impact. If the launch date is fixed and manual confirmation still works, launch with the original form and schedule booking for phase two.
A change request you can copy
“We would like customers to pick consultation slots. For now, staff can still confirm times manually. Could you explain the options for adding this now or after launch, including the cost, timing and how we will test bookings? Please continue work on unaffected pages while we decide.”
Record the decision before extra work starts
Keep the request, approved option, cost, target date and approver in one place. Update the test checklist so the team can verify the revised scope at handover.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the agreed scope and terms. Ask whether the request is a covered revision, a bug fix or additional work.
You can discuss a swap. Ask the provider to check completed work and dependencies before confirming any cost or schedule changes.
Prioritise features needed on launch day. If the existing process still works, schedule the extra feature after launch and decide how the team will handle the work in the meantime.
If you are still requesting quotes
Read the guide to comparing website quotations. When you request a quote, identify the features you need at launch and the ones that can come later.
