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Out of Scope

is a same-day rush revision out of scope?

Yes — the revision itself may sit comfortably inside your contract, but a demand to deliver it within hours is a separate timeline change that carries its own cost. The exception is a contract that already promises a guaranteed turnaround time.

Why this answer

It helps to split a rush revision into its two parts, because they live in different parts of your contract. The change itself is governed by your revisions clause: if the client still has rounds remaining, you owe them the edit at no extra charge. The speed is governed by your timeline, which is a separate dimension of scope entirely. When a client says they need an included edit back the same day, they are not asking for more work — they are asking you to reorder your week, drop or delay whatever you had planned, and possibly work into the evening to clear a window. That reordering has a real cost even when the edit takes twenty minutes, because the expensive part is the interruption, not the keystrokes. Honoring the revision for free while pricing the urgency separately is the clean position: you are not charging for the change, you are charging for jumping the queue.

When the answer flips

The verdict flips to In Scope when your contract names a turnaround — 'revisions returned within two business days' — and the client's ask sits inside it; then same-day delivery, if you offer it, is a courtesy rather than a chargeable service. It also softens when the edit is so small it costs you nothing to slot in immediately, in which case the goodwill of a fast free turnaround often outweighs the marginal fee. It turns ambiguous when 'today' is aspirational rather than a hard deadline tied to a real event, because the urgency may evaporate once you ask what breaks if it lands tomorrow. But the moment honoring 'today' means displacing committed work or giving up your evening, the speed is out of scope even if the change is not.

What to do next

Confirm the change is covered first, so the client hears 'yes' before they hear 'but.' Then test whether the deadline is real: ask what specifically depends on same-day delivery. If it is genuine, offer two clean paths — the edit on your normal turnaround at no cost, or the same-day version with a flat rush fee that pays for the reshuffle. Keep the rush fee simple and predictable, a fixed amount rather than an hourly meter, so urgency does not become a recurring negotiation. If same-day requests are becoming a pattern, that is a signal to add a turnaround clause and a standing rush rate to your next agreement so the rule is set before the pressure arrives.

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Frequently asked questions

How is a rush revision different from a normal revision?+

A normal revision is about what changes; a rush revision is about when it lands. The first draws down your included rounds and costs the client nothing extra. The second asks you to compress your schedule, and that compression is what carries a fee. Keeping the two separate in your own head is what lets you say yes to the work and still charge fairly for the speed.

What's a fair rush fee for a same-day turnaround?+

A flat surcharge tied to how much of your day it consumes works better than a percentage of the edit, because the edit might be tiny while the disruption is large. Many freelancers set a standing same-day fee that roughly equals a couple of hours at their rate, which fairly prices the interruption without feeling punitive. Decide the number once and reuse it so every rush request gets the same answer.

The client insists they always expected same-day edits. How do I respond?+

Look at what the contract actually says about turnaround. If it names a window and you're inside it, deliver and move on. If it's silent, you have a genuine expectation gap, and the fair move is to honor this one quickly while agreeing a turnaround clause for everything after. Don't argue about who assumed what; just make the rule explicit from here.

Should I drop other clients' work to hit a rush request?+

Only if you're being paid to. The cost of a rush is precisely that it bumps committed work, and a rush fee is what makes that trade worthwhile. If you displace another client's deadline for free, you've taken on the downside of the rush with none of the upside. Price the queue-jump or schedule the edit normally — those are the two honest options.

Can I offer a guaranteed turnaround instead of charging per rush?+

Yes, and it's often cleaner. A named turnaround in the contract — say two business days for any included revision — sets a clear expectation and frees you from negotiating speed every time. You can then sell same-day as a defined upgrade with a set price. That structure tends to reduce panic requests, because the client already knows when to expect their edit.

What if the rush is caused by the client sitting on their own approval?+

Then the rush fee is more justified, not less. A client who held the project for a week and now needs the edit back in an afternoon has burned the slack you were relying on. Name it plainly: the deadline moved because feedback came late, and recovering it is rush work. Said matter-of-factly, this rarely offends — it just resets a fair expectation.

Related reading

Answer scope creep from your actual contract — not a template.

Settled reads your contract and the client's request, gives you a verdict (In Scope / Out of Scope / Ambiguous), and drafts the email grounded in your specific clause.

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