What counts as an unbilled round
Scope creep is work that slips into a project without a price on it: for example, two projects a month that each get one extra three-hour round at $60 an hour add up to $4,320 a year that never reaches an invoice.
The calculator only needs four numbers. These are the words it uses for them.
- Revision round
- One batch of client feedback and the updated version you send back. Three emails about the same draft are still one round if you answer them together.
- Included rounds
- The rounds your quote or contract already pays for. Many freelancers include two; some include none and bill every change.
- Extra (unbilled) round
- Any round after the included ones that you did without sending a bill. This is the number to be honest about.
- Hours per extra round
- Everything a round takes: reading the feedback, the change itself, exporting, checking and replying. Not only the time in your design or code tool.
- Hourly rate
- What you charge, or would charge, for an hour of work. If you quote fixed prices, use the hourly figure you had in mind when you set the price.
- Working week
- The calculator counts a working week as 40 hours, so you can see the cost as time off as well as money.
Example studios, side by side
These rows are made-up examples, not survey data. Each one runs through the same logic as the calculator above, so you can check your own result against a case that looks like yours.
| Example | Projects a month | Extra rounds each | Hours a round | Rate | Unbilled hours a year | Unbilled a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: solo web designer | 2 | 1 | 3 | $60/h | 72 | $4,320 |
| Example: brand freelancer | 1 | 2 | 4 | £75/h | 96 | £7,200 |
| Example: small studio | 4 | 1.5 | 5 | €90/h | 360 | €32,400 |
| Example: video editor | 6 | 1 | 2 | A$45/h | 144 | A$6,480 |
| Example: agency, busy month | 8 | 2 | 6 | CA$110/h | 1,152 | CA$126,720 |
| Example: developer in India | 3 | 2 | 4 | ₹1,500/h | 288 | ₹4,32,000 |
Before you trust the number
Your memory runs low
Most people underestimate extra rounds, because small requests feel too small to count. Look back at the last three projects and count rounds from the email or chat history before you type a number.
Not every extra round should be billed
Some extra work is a fair cost of keeping a good client, or fixes a mistake on your side. The number shows what the rounds cost, not what you must charge for them.
Averages hide bad projects
One project with six extra rounds can cost more than a year of tidy ones. If your work is uneven, try the calculator once with a typical month and once with your worst one.
Time is not the only cost
Late changes also push back other work, delay your invoice and can make a project slip into the next month. None of that is in the money figure.
Currency only changes the format
Picking a currency changes how the result is written. It does not convert anything, so type your rate in the currency you pick.
Questions about scope creep and extra rounds
Is this calculator free, and is my data saved?
It is free and runs entirely in your browser. The numbers you type are not sent anywhere and are gone when you close the page.
How many revision rounds should a project include?
There is no single right number. Two rounds is a common starting point for design and web work, but what matters more is writing the number down and saying what happens after it.
How do I stop extra rounds without upsetting the client?
Agree the number of included rounds before work starts, count them out loud as you go (“this is round 2 of 2”), and offer the next round with a price before you start it. Clients rarely object to a rule they agreed to.
What is the difference between a revision and a change request?
A revision adjusts the work you agreed to make. A change request asks for something new, or for changes to work the client already approved. Change requests are usually quoted separately.
Should I bill by the hour or a fixed fee for extra rounds?
Hourly is fairer when rounds vary a lot in size. A fixed fee per round is easier for clients to accept and for you to send. Either works if it is written down before the project starts.
Why does the result show working weeks?
Money can feel abstract. Seeing that extra rounds add up to, say, two working weeks a year makes it easier to decide whether the time is worth giving away.