Scope creep is a state machine, not a difficult-client problem

Short summary

Scope creep should be modeled as a four-state machine (included, swapped, deferred, added) rather than blamed on difficult clients, with every request classified and approved before work begins. The post provides a TypeScript type model, a change-fee formula covering direct effort plus uncertainty and displaced-capacity costs, and template wording for communicating scope changes professionally. The author also shares free browser-based tools for generating change-order messages and calculating fixed quotes.

• •Reframe scope creep as a state machine with four states: included, swapped, deferred, or added
• •Use a change-fee formula: direct effort + uncertainty reserve + displaced-capacity cost
• •Get written approval before starting any out-of-scope work; the author provides template wording and free tools

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