Checklist
Project scope checklist
Use this before a project starts, and again whenever the client asks for something new. It makes the edges of the work visible so extra requests are a conversation, not a surprise. Allow about 20 minutes.
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Why scope drifts
Scope rarely explodes in one step. It grows through small requests that each feel too minor to charge for, an approval that turns out to need three more people, and assumptions each side holds without saying. The list above targets those: define done, cap the rounds, name who approves, put the client's tasks on a calendar, and write the exclusions in advance. Each item you cannot tick marks a place where an argument could start later.
Using it with a client
You can paste the ticked items into a proposal or kickoff message, or send the printed page as an agenda. Clients often welcome it, because clear edges protect them from surprise bills too. If a client resists putting scope in writing, take that seriously: the client-fit checklist covers it.
Limits
This is a planning aid, not a contract. Whether a written scope is legally binding, and what a contract must say, depends on where you and the client are, so check local rules or ask a lawyer for anything high-value. Published summaries of New York City's Freelance Isn't Free Act show that some places require a written agreement above a set value, and requirements differ elsewhere.
Where this comes from
The checklist reflects common scoping practice rather than a formal standard, and we have not tested it with clients. For the written agreement note, we checked law firm summaries of New York City's Freelance Isn't Free Act.