A new client request is not automatically extra work. Before attaching a price, compare it with the scope the client approved. That keeps legitimate corrections from becoming awkward change invoices.
Start with the observable outcome. “Make the form better” could mean repairing a form that never sends, changing the color of an agreed component, or adding a new CRM integration. Those are different decisions. Ask what the visitor should be able to do after the change.
A defect means the work does not meet agreed completion criteria. If the approved contact form should send to the client's inbox and it does not, follow the correction responsibilities in your existing agreement. Do not use a change fee to cover your own mistake.
An included revision fits the deliverable and feedback process the client purchased. If one consolidated review round is included and has not been used, a request that fits that round belongs in the current project. Be specific about what the round actually covers; do not invent limits after the fact.
New scope changes the deliverable, behavior, integration or quantity beyond the baseline. A basic contact form becoming a multi-step intake process with file uploads might be new scope if those features were outside the agreed proposal. Cite the actual baseline rather than relying on “that is usually extra.”
Ambiguous scope needs a conversation before a quote. If neither party documented the boundary clearly, explain the work and agree a fair next step. Sometimes that means a revised baseline, a reduced feature, or sharing the cost of resolving the ambiguity.
Record the classification, the baseline reference and the client decision. A neutral response is: “I’m checking this against our agreed deliverables so I can confirm the cost and schedule fairly.”
Revision Desk includes a baseline worksheet, request triage sheet and client scripts for each of these situations.