Scope Creep Cost Calculator
Put in your hourly rate and the extra hours you gave away, and see what it cost you.
Want to set a rate that already allows for this? Try the Freelance Day Rate Calculator.
The extra hours I give away every week
Example: $60 an hour and 3 free hours a week over 46 weeks is $8,280 a year, or 17.3 full days of work for nothing. Leave the weeks empty and we use 46.
The extra hours I have already given away on one job
Example: 20 extra hours at $60 an hour is $1,200 you could have billed, about 2.5 full days.
A full day is counted as 8 hours.
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Scope creep is when a client’s job quietly grows and you do the extra work without charging for it. Enter your hourly rate and the free hours, and this shows what that cost you in money and in full working days.
Three free hours a week does not feel like much. Over a working year it is about 17 full days of work for nothing. Seeing the number is often enough to start saying “that is outside what we agreed”.
How it's worked out
- Free hours a year are the free hours a week times the weeks you work. If you leave the weeks empty, we use 46.
- The money given away is the free hours times your hourly rate.
- Full days are the free hours divided by 8.
At $60 an hour, 3 free hours a week over 46 weeks is 138 hours. 138 times $60 is $8,280, which is about 17.3 full days.
Common mistakes
- Only counting the big extras. The quick calls and small favours add up faster than one large change.
- Using what you take home after tax as your rate. Use the rate you would actually invoice.
- Forgetting the emails and messages around the extra work, which take time too.
- Treating it as a one-off. A client who gets a free extra once usually expects it again.
Questions
What counts as scope creep?
Any work the client expects that was not in what you agreed and quoted for. Extra rounds of changes, new pages, more meetings and extra deliverables are the usual ones.
Why does the tool use 46 weeks?
Most freelancers do not work all 52 weeks. 46 allows for holidays, public holidays and some time off sick. Type your own number in the weeks box if yours is different.
How do I stop scope creep?
Write down what is included, say what an extra costs when it comes up, and agree changes before you do them. This tool only shows what it has cost you so far. It cannot write the agreement for you.
What if I only know my day rate?
Divide it by the hours in your working day. A $480 day over 8 hours is $60 an hour.
Between clients. Officially research.