What counts as a round
Counts as a round
- One set of feedback from the client on a version you shared, followed by one set of changes from you.
- Changes to the design, layout or content that was agreed, such as a different photo, new wording or a color tweak.
Doesn't count
- Fixing your own mistakes: something broken, or something that doesn't match what was agreed.
- Questions and answers that don't change the site.
Isn't a revision at all
- New pages, sections, features or content that weren't in the plan. These are new work, priced as a change request, not a revision.
How to set it up
- 1Define a roundWrite down that a round is one set of consolidated feedback and one set of changes, so a week of separate messages isn't five rounds or one endless one.
- 2Choose the numberTwo rounds is a common choice for a marketing site: enough to get it right, few enough that feedback stays considered. Some studios split it into one round on the design and one on the build.
- 3Say what isn't a revisionNew pages and features are new work, and fixing your own mistakes isn't a round. Saying both protects you and the client.
- 4Price the extra roundsState the hourly rate for extra rounds, and that you'll estimate and confirm before starting. Then the third round is a decision, not an argument.
Sample clauses
Pick the first or second clause, then add the last two. This is a starting point, not legal advice: have a lawyer check any contract wording before you use it.
Revision rounds This project includes two (2) rounds of revisions. A round is one set of consolidated feedback from the Client on a version of the website, followed by one set of changes by [Studio]. The Client will send each round's feedback in a single message within [5] business days of the version being shared. Design and build (alternative to the above) This project includes one (1) round of revisions on the design and one (1) round on the built website. Changes to the design after it has been approved are charged as additional work. What a revision covers Revisions cover changes to the design and content agreed in this proposal. New pages, sections, features or content are outside the scope and will be quoted separately before any work begins. Fixes to defects in [Studio]'s work are not counted as revisions. Additional rounds Further rounds of revisions are charged at [rate] per hour, estimated and confirmed in writing by the Client before work begins.
When round three arrives on a contract with two
Don’t start the work and raise it later. Reply before you begin, say the included rounds are used, give a price, and offer a smaller option. Said early and plainly, it doesn’t land as a surprise bill.
Hi [Client name], Thanks for the feedback, it's all clear. One thing before we start: the project included [two] rounds of revisions, and we've now used both. Happy to do this round. I estimate it at [hours] hours, which is [price] at [rate] an hour. Shall I go ahead? If you'd rather keep to the original budget, tell me the two or three changes that matter most and I'll tell you what each one costs on its own. Thanks, [Your name]
Let the rounds count themselves
In Scopepin, clients pin feedback on the live site, and every comment is tagged with the round it arrived in. Start the next round when you share the next version. Feedback in round three of two shows a warning that only you see. Extra work goes into a priced change request, and the client approves each item from an email link.
Questions
How many revision rounds should a web design contract include?
Two is a common choice for a marketing site, sometimes split into one round on the design and one on the build. More rounds don't make the site better; clearer feedback does.
What about unlimited revisions?
Unlimited rounds make a fixed price open-ended: there's no point at which extra work becomes extra pay. If you offer it, limit it in time instead, such as unlimited changes for two weeks after launch.
Are bug fixes revisions?
No. If something is broken or doesn't match what was agreed, fixing it is part of the original work and shouldn't use up a round.
What if the client sends feedback in pieces?
Agree in the contract that each round is sent in one message by a date. If pieces still arrive, collect them into one list and confirm it with the client before starting the changes.
Is this legal advice?
No. The wording above is a starting point. Have a lawyer check any contract wording before you use it, especially for the law that applies where you and your clients are.
Make the third round a decision, not a favor.
Free for one project, with unlimited clients and reviewers.