Revision Policy
Also called: Revision Rounds Clause · Amendment Rounds
A revision policy states how many rounds of changes are included in a project's price, what counts as a revision versus new work, and what happens once the included rounds are used up. Without it, "unlimited revisions" can quietly become the default — and the provider's effective hourly rate keeps dropping.
In more detail
A generous-sounding "revisions included" promise is only meaningful once bounded — two rounds is a common, workable default for creative and development work, but the number should reflect the actual complexity and price of the engagement.
The harder problem is defining what counts as a "revision" (a refinement of agreed work) versus a "new request" (a change to scope that should trigger the change order process instead). Without that boundary, every extra request gets treated as a free revision.
What happens after included revisions run out needs to be explicit — usually an hourly or per-round rate for additional revisions — rather than left as an awkward negotiation each time a client asks for "just one more small change."
A freelance design contract includes two rounds of revisions in the price. A third round, or any request that goes beyond refining the already-agreed design, is billed separately at a stated hourly rate — a boundary that prevents the project from running indefinitely at no extra cost.
What our lawyers check
- Number of revision rounds included, relative to the project's complexity
- Whether "revision" is defined clearly enough to distinguish it from new scope
- The rate or process for revisions beyond what's included
- Whether revision requests have a response-time commitment attached
Contracts where this clause matters
Related terms
This definition is general information about commercial contracting practice, not legal advice. How a clause operates depends on the specific wording of your agreement and the law that governs it. For advice on your contract, have it reviewed by a lawyer.
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