Handling scope changes with variations
A variation is any change to the scope of work after the client has accepted the quote — extra rooms, a different finish, additional prep that wasn't visible until the job started. A variation is just another area to measure and quote: Surfacely treats it as a first-class record, priced by the same engine at your same rates.
Creating a variation
From the project hub, tap New variation. Add a title and a client-facing description of the change, then measure the extra (or removed) scope just like a normal area. There are no line items to fill in — you measure the surfaces and Surfacely's engine prices them at your rates, producing one agreed total.
Statuses
- Draft — you're still drafting it
- Sent — issued to the client for decision
- Accepted — client approved via the portal
- Rejected — client declined
- Agreed offline — you recorded the client's verbal approval in person, with a mandatory note
- Void — cancelled, no longer applies
Agreeing offline
On a job, clients often verbally approve extras face-to-face. You can record this as Agreed offline with a mandatory note describing the conversation. It's a legitimate variation — but always follow up with a written record in the portal if you can.
How variations affect the financial picture
Accepted and agreed-offline variations roll up into the project's financial totals — quoted + variations = total expected revenue. This is what you invoice against. Rejected and void variations don't count. If you've accepted a variation and the scope changes again, you can void it via reject-and-recreate and issue a fresh one.
Why it matters: variations are the single most common cause of "I thought that was included" disputes. Writing them down — even with a one-sentence description — transforms a potentially uncomfortable conversation into a click-to-approve moment in the client portal.
Issue variations the same day the scope changes. Memory fades fast on both sides. A written variation within 24 hours is 10x more likely to be approved cleanly than one issued a week later.