How to Write a Scope of Work That Actually Protects You

You agreed on WhatsApp. The client said "sawa, let's do it." You started work. Three weeks later they're asking for two more revisions, a different colour scheme, and "just one small addition," all for free, because none of it was ever written down.

This is the most common way freelancers here lose money. It's rarely a bad client. It's usually just no paper trail to point to once things start drifting.

A scope of work fixes this. It's not a scary legal document. It's one page that says what you'll do, what you won't, when it's due, and what it costs.

The four things it needs

1. What you're delivering, exactly. Not "a website." Say "a 5-page website (Home, About, Services, Contact, Gallery), 2 rounds of design revisions, delivered as a live site plus source files." Specific enough that neither of you can argue about it later.

2. What's NOT included. This one line saves you the most grief. Printing costs. Extra pages. Rush delivery. Stock photo licensing. If it's not on the deliverables list and not on this list either, it's a new conversation, and a new invoice.

3. Timeline, both ways. Your delivery date, sure. But also: if the client is slow to send feedback or content, the date moves. Freelancers rarely protect themselves on this one, and it's usually the client's delay that blows the deadline anyway.

4. Price, deposit, and what happens if payment is late. State the total, the deposit before you start (30 to 50% is normal here), and the balance on delivery. Name your payment method, M-Pesa Paybill/Till or bank, so there's no back-and-forth about how to even pay you. And say what happens if the balance is late. A simple late fee, say 5% per week overdue, gets you paid on time far more often than a stern reminder does.

Send it before you start, not after

Send the scope of work the moment you agree to work together, before any billable hours go in. Not once the relationship already feels shaky. It sets the tone: you run this like a business, not a favour.

A typed name, a ticked box, or a plain "I agree" reply is enough to accept this under Kenyan law. You don't need a notarized signature for everyday freelance work.