Stop losing money on UI UX Designer projects.
Send your first 3 change orders for free. Stop letting 'just one more screen' bleed your profit dry and turn your 40-hour week into an unpaid marathon. If it isn't in the original scope, it shouldn't be in your Figma file without a signed Change Order.
No credit card required. Setup takes 30 seconds.
Change Order
Ref: 2026-001 • Standard Business Template
Project Change Order: UI/UX Design Services
This Change Order (“CO”) is an amendment to the original Design Services Agreement dated [Original Date] between [Designer Name] and [Client Name].
1. Description of Additional Work
The following items are identified as being outside the original scope of work (SOW):
- [e.g., Addition of 5 High-Fidelity Mobile App Screens]
- [e.g., Implementation of Interactive Prototyping for Investor Pitch]
- [e.g., Additional Round of User Persona Research and Validation]
2. Impact on Project Timeline
The addition of the work described in Section 1 will result in the following adjustments to the project schedule:
- Current Handoff Date: [Date]
- Revised Handoff Date: [Date]
- New Milestone Dates: [List specific updated milestones]
3. Revised Pricing & Payment
The Client agrees to pay the additional fees as outlined below:
- Additional Fee Total: $[Amount]
- Payment Terms: [e.g., 50% Upfront, 50% upon completion of the Change Order items]
- New Total Project Investment: $[New Total Amount]
4. Authorization
Work on the items described above will not commence until this document is signed by both parties and the initial deposit for this Change Order is received. All other terms and conditions of the original Agreement remain in full force and effect.
Designer Signature: __________________________ Date: __________
Client Signature: __________________________ Date: __________
Uncompensated Prototyping Loops
Adding new interactive states or complex animations that require significant logic adjustments without additional pay.
Responsive Scope Explosion
Being forced to design for tablet and mobile breakpoints when the original agreement only specified desktop resolutions.
Timeline Handoff Delays
Missing a developer handoff date because of un-scoped 'minor' requests, potentially triggering late-fee penalties in your contract.
What is a UI UX Designer Change Order?
A UI/UX Designer Change Order is a legal amendment to an existing contract that defines additional design work, its cost, and its impact on the project timeline. It ensures the designer is paid for work outside the original scope and requires client signature before the new work begins.
Built from real freelance projects
This template is based on real-world scenarios across freelance projects where unclear scope, missing payment terms, and revision creep led to lost revenue. It is designed to protect your time, define expectations, and ensure you get paid.
Why UI UX Designers need a clear change order
In UI/UX design, the line between a 'minor iteration' and a 'structural scope change' is notoriously thin. Clients often perceive adding a new user flow or a responsive mobile breakpoint as a simple tweak, when in reality, it requires hours of wireframing, prototyping, and edge-case testing. Without a formal Change Order, you are essentially providing free consultancy and production work. This document acts as a professional barrier that forces the client to acknowledge the value of their new requests. It protects your delivery timeline by legally extending the deadline to accommodate the extra work and ensures that your hourly or project rate remains profitable. For a UI/UX designer, the Change Order is the only tool that prevents a project from becoming an infinite loop of 'pixel-pushing' at your expense.
Real-world scenario
Maya was finalizing a $15,000 mobile app UI when the client asked to 'quickly add' a social feed and a messaging system before the handoff. Knowing this would add 20+ screens and complex logic, Maya didn't say yes—she sent a Change Order. The document detailed $4,000 in additional fees and a two-week timeline extension. The client, seeing the impact on the budget, decided the messaging system wasn't a 'must-have' for Version 1. Maya avoided 40 hours of unpaid work, kept the project on its original schedule, and maintained her professional authority. By having the document ready, she turned a stressful demand into a structured business conversation.
🛡️ What this change order covers:
- ✓Detailed Description of New UI/UX Scope
- ✓Revised Milestone Handoff Dates
- ✓Additional Design Investment Total
- ✓Revised Payment Schedule
- ✓List of Existing Deliverables Impacted
- ✓Mutual Signature Execution Block
Best practices for UI UX Designers
The 10% Threshold
Automatically trigger a Change Order for any request that increases the total project effort by more than 10%.
Pause Production
Always stop work on the disputed feature until the Change Order is signed to avoid 'work-in-progress' leverage issues.
Legal Disclaimer: MicroFreelanceHub is a software workflow tool, not a law firm. The templates and information provided on this website are for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the client refuses to sign the Change Order?
Then the additional work is not performed. You must continue to fulfill the original scope as defined in your initial contract and politely decline the new requests until an agreement is reached.
Should I charge for the time it takes to write the Change Order?
For significant changes, yes. You can include an 'Administrative/Scoping Fee' within the Change Order itself to cover the time spent estimating the new requirements.