Freelance and small business
Check a proposal for missing scope details
A proposal that never says what is excluded, how many revisions are included, or what counts as finished invites scope creep. Paste your draft and ask what a client could reasonably dispute later.
A text to start with
Here is a proposal draft I am about to send: [paste proposal]. Flag anything ambiguous about the final deliverables, the number of revision rounds included, work that is explicitly excluded, and the criteria the client will use to accept or reject the final product. Note any clause that could be read two ways, and quote the exact wording of each. Do not rewrite the proposal; only list the gaps.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.What to check in the answer
Compare the flagged gaps with what you have actually agreed with the client. Some may be settled in conversation, but check that those conversations are written down somewhere. Look hardest at acceptance criteria. "Client satisfaction" is not a standard you can plan a schedule around. Have a qualified person review any payment terms, late fees, or intellectual property language before you send the document.
What to do next
Close the gaps you can fix now, and save the rest for a call with the client before signing. Write down whatever you agree to verbally. If the project is large enough that a dispute would be costly, have a professional review the final document.