My client's contract had a vague 'scope creep' clause that blew up last month

I was working with a new client on a standard website build, and the contract had this line about 'additional work subject to separate agreement.' It seemed fine until they started asking for extra pages, custom forms, and a blog setup, saying it was all part of the 'core site.' I billed for the extras, and they refused to pay, pointing right at that clause. My lawyer said it was too fuzzy to enforce easily, and I ended up eating about $2,000 in dev time just to avoid a bigger fight. On one hand, I get that tight contracts can scare off clients, but on the other, leaving things open is just asking for trouble. How do you all handle scope definition in your service agreements to keep things clear without being too rigid?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianal9417d ago

Seriously, a vague clause is that big of a deal? It sounds like a communication problem more than a legal one. Just talk it out next time before doing the extra work.

allen.ivan17d ago

Ugh, @dianal94, you've clearly never been burned by a vague clause before.

blairtaylor17d ago

What exactly did the vague clause cost you?