The email arrives on a Tuesday afternoon:
"Hey — so we've been doing some internal thinking and we want to take this in a completely different direction. Can we scrap what we have and start fresh? Same budget, of course."
You're 60% through the project. You've put in 30 hours. The design was approved in week one. The development is nearly done. And now they want to throw it all away and start over — for free.
This scenario appears on freelance subreddits with alarming regularity. A designer on r/graphic_design described completing an entire brand identity — logo, color palette, typography system, brand guidelines — only to be told the client's new business partner "has a different vision." A web developer on r/webdev was three weeks into a build when the client's marketing team was replaced and the new team wanted a different approach.
The work is done. It was good work. And now it's worthless — unless you handle the conversation correctly.
Why Restarts Happen
Internal Politics
The most common cause. Your contact approved everything. But someone above them — a board member, a new hire, a co-founder — has different ideas. Your contact doesn't have the authority (or the spine) to push back, so the restart request lands on you.
The "Living With It" Problem
Some clients don't know what they want until they live with a direction for a while. The design looked great in the presentation. Two weeks later, staring at it daily, doubts creep in. "Is this really us?" becomes "We need to start over."
External Changes
The market shifted. A competitor launched something similar. The company pivoted. The client's business changed in a way that makes the current direction genuinely obsolete. This is the only version of a restart that's truly nobody's fault.
Discovery Through Rejection
This is the expensive cousin of "I'll know it when I see it." The client couldn't articulate what they wanted. You built something. Now they know what they don't want. Your completed work was an expensive mood board.
The Restart Is Not Free
This is the critical point that many freelancers fail to assert: completed work has value, even if the client no longer wants it.
You were paid (or are being paid) to produce deliverables. You produced them. The client approved them. The fact that the client changed their mind doesn't erase the time, skill, and effort you invested.
A restart is a new project. It requires new work. It should be paid for separately.
The Kill Fee Principle
In publishing, film, and advertising, there's a standard concept called a "kill fee" — if a client cancels or restarts an approved project, the freelancer is paid a percentage (typically 25–50%) of the remaining contract value, on top of payment for work already completed.
Freelancers in other industries deserve the same protection.
How to Handle the Conversation
Step 1: Acknowledge Without Agreeing
"I understand you want to take things in a new direction. Let's talk about what that looks like and how we can make it work."
Don't say "no problem" or "sure, we can do that." And definitely don't agree to restart at no additional cost. You're opening a conversation, not making a concession.
Step 2: Separate Completed Work From New Work
"The work completed so far — [list deliverables] — was approved and built according to our scope agreement. That work is complete. A new direction would be a new phase of work with its own scope and budget."
Be specific about what was delivered. Reference the scope agreement. Reference the approval. Make it clear that the completed work isn't a "draft" — it's a finished deliverable that the client signed off on.
Step 3: Present Options
Give the client choices. People who feel cornered push back. People with options make decisions:
Option A: Pivot, Don't Restart
"We could modify the existing work to align with the new direction. This would be [X hours] of additional work at [$rate]. I'll put together a change order."
This is often the most cost-effective option for the client, and it preserves most of your existing work.
Option B: Restart as a New Project
"If you want a complete restart, I'd treat this as a new project with a new scope and budget. The existing project would be considered complete as delivered. I'll send a new proposal for the restart."
Option C: Part Ways
"If the new direction requires a different approach or skillset, I completely understand. The existing project would be closed out based on work completed, and you're free to take the new direction to another provider."
Step 4: Reference the Scope Agreement
This is where having a solid scope of work pays off:
"Per our scope agreement, the deliverables through Phase [X] were approved on [date]. Changes to approved work are treated as new scope. Let me draft a change order for the new direction."
If your scope agreement includes language about post-approval changes (and it should), this conversation is straightforward. If it doesn't, add that clause to every future agreement.
What to Put in Your Scope Agreement
To protect yourself from unpaid restarts, your scope document should include:
Approval gates: Each phase requires explicit client approval before proceeding. Once approved, that phase is considered complete.
Post-approval changes: "Changes to previously approved deliverables will be treated as new scope and quoted separately."
Cancellation terms: "If the project is cancelled after work has begun, the client will be invoiced for all completed work plus [X%] of remaining contracted work."
Direction changes vs. revisions: "A direction change — defined as a fundamental shift in approach, strategy, or creative direction — is distinct from a revision and will be scoped as additional work."
Use our Scope of Work Generator to create agreements that include these protections by default.
The Real Cost of a Restart
Freelancers consistently undervalue the cost of restarts. It's not just the hours to redo the work:
- Sunk time on completed work — hours already spent that can't be recouped
- Opportunity cost — projects you turned down because this one was filling your schedule
- Timeline disruption — your other commitments are now affected
- Emotional cost — having your professional work discarded takes a toll
Use our Scope Creep Calculator to quantify what a restart actually costs you. The number is always larger than freelancers expect.
Prevention Is Cheaper Than Cure
The best way to handle restarts is to prevent them:
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Approval gates at every phase. Don't build for three weeks before getting sign-off. Get approval at discovery, concept, and design before touching code.
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Ask who's involved. At project kickoff, ask: "Who else will be reviewing this work?" If the answer includes people who aren't in the room, get them involved early — or get your contact to confirm they have final authority.
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Document everything. Approvals, feedback, direction changes — all in writing. When a client says "we approved that?" you can show them the timestamp.
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Use ScopeFlag. Every approval is documented. Every change is tracked. When the restart conversation happens, you have a complete record of what was agreed, what was approved, and what changed.
Clients change their minds. That's their right. But paying for the consequences of that change is their responsibility — not yours.