Charge, absorb, clarify or decline: deciding what to do with an out-of-scope request
A decision framework for delivery leads: when to charge for a client request, when absorbing it is the right call, when to ask first, and how to record the decision so it holds up later.
Key takeaways
- Every out-of-scope request needs one of four answers: charge, absorb, clarify or decline.
- Separate the assessment (what does the agreement say?) from the decision (what will we do about it?).
- Absorbing is legitimate, but only as a recorded, one-off exception. Unrecorded goodwill turns into new scope.
- Clarify whenever the agreement is genuinely unclear, before deciding, not after the work is done.
- Write down who decided, when, on which evidence and why. A decision without a reason is hard to defend later.
The four answers
When a client asks for something the agreement might not cover, a delivery lead has four possible responses. Naming them, and using the same names every time, turns a vague conversation into a clear decision.
| Decision | Means | Does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | We’ll ask to be paid for this. | The client has approved a price. |
| Absorb | We’ll do this one at no charge. | Similar requests are now in scope. |
| Clarify | We need the client’s answer before deciding. | We’re stalling. |
| Decline | We won’t take this on. | We’ve refused to talk about it. |
Before choosing, settle a different question: what does the agreement actually say? Keep that assessment separate from the decision. A request can be clearly additional and still be absorbed, for good reasons. Mixing the two leads to “it’s probably in scope” arguments that are really about the relationship.
When to charge
- The request crosses an explicit exclusion, limit or named list in the agreement.
- The effort is more than you would comfortably give away.
- The agreement has a change procedure, and following it is expected.
- The same kind of request has come up before and was absorbed last time.
Charging starts with a change request: a short document describing the additional work, the price, the schedule impact and who must approve it. See how to write one a client can approve quickly.
When to absorb
Absorbing is not a failure. It is often the right call when the work is genuinely small, the relationship matters more than the hours, or you share responsibility for the misunderstanding.
The risk is what absorbing does to the next request. If nobody records that this was an exception, the client reasonably assumes it is now included, and the delivery team does too. Absorb one request, explicitly, and keep the baseline where it was.
When to clarify
Clarify when the agreement does not settle the question. Typical cases:
- The agreement says something will be “confirmed during discovery”.
- It refers to an appendix or exhibit you don’t have.
- Two clauses point in different directions.
- The client says the work was agreed in a meeting, and there is no written record.
Ask a specific question that the client can answer in one reply, and park the request until they do. Clarifying is also how you avoid the most awkward outcome: building something, then discovering you each believed something different.
When to decline
Decline when the work is outside what your team does, would put the agreed delivery at risk, or conflicts with a decision already made. Explain the reason and, where you can, suggest an alternative, such as a later phase or a specialist.
Recording the decision
A decision is only useful later if it was written down with enough context. Record:
- The request, in the client’s words.
- The clause or clauses that informed it.
- The decision: charge, absorb, clarify or decline.
- The reason, in a sentence.
- Who decided, and when.
If the decision changes, add the new one. Don’t edit the old one away. The sequence of “clarify, then charge” tells a clearer story than the final answer on its own.
Agreeably is built around this record. Each requested change is assessed with the agreement’s own words quoted, and the decision, reason, person and time are kept as append-only history. A decision to charge creates no invoice or approval on its own; you draft a change request from it on purpose. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
Should we tell the client when we absorb a request?
Usually yes. Saying “this one is outside the agreement, and we’re happy to include it” keeps the goodwill visible and makes it easier to charge for the next one.
Can we change a decision later?
Yes, but add to the record instead of overwriting it. The earlier decision and its reason are part of the project’s history and explain what happened.
Does deciding to charge mean the client has agreed to pay?
No. Charge is your internal decision to seek payment. The client agrees when they approve a change request with a price and scope.