Can we make it a little deeper?
The drawings for the alcove cabinets were signed off a month ago. The carcasses are glued up. Then the client texts: could the shelves be adjustable rather than fixed, and could the top be 20mm deeper to match the skirting? You reply that you will look into it. On site, you mention it to the maker at the bench, who adjusts the shelves but does not hear about the top.
At fitting, the client asks why the top is not deeper. Later, they query the invoice because it includes a charge for the adjustable shelving they thought was a small change.
Changes travel by conversation
Bespoke work invites changes. Clients see the piece taking shape and have new ideas. That is part of the craft. The trouble is that the change process is informal.
- Requests arrive by text, email, phone or in person on a site visit.
- Changes are agreed in conversation without a written record of what and at what cost.
- Drawings are updated, or not, depending on who took the request.
- The person at the bench hears about changes second hand.
- The cost and time impact of a change is rarely stated before it is made.
What informal changes cost
The piece gets built to the wrong version, and correcting it takes bench time and sometimes new timber. Invoices are disputed because the client thought a change was free. Lead times slip because a change added days that nobody accounted for. And the relationship suffers at the end of a job, when it should be at its best.
Change control for commissions
- Every commission has its approved design version: drawings, key dimensions, timber, finish and hardware.
- Change requests, however they arrive, are logged against the commission in one place, with the client's words and any photos.
- Each request is assessed: what changes in the drawing, the cutting list, materials, hours and delivery date. Parts already made that would be affected are noted.
- The client receives a short change note with the effect on price and date, and approves or declines it online.
- Approved changes create a new design version. The cutting list and workshop instructions update, and the maker sees what changed.
- The final invoice lists approved changes with their prices, so there are no surprises.
| Step | Today | With change control |
|---|---|---|
| Request | Text or chat | Logged on the commission |
| Impact | Guessed or ignored | Price, materials and date assessed |
| Client agreement | Verbal | Approved online |
| Workshop told | Second hand | New version with changes shown |
| Invoice | Disputed | Changes listed with approval |
Flexibility without the fallout
You can still say yes to changes, and most clients are happy to pay for them when they see the effect upfront. The bench always works from the current version. Disagreements at fitting and invoicing become rare, because every change has a record the client approved. You can also see how often changes happen and at what stage, which may lead you to build an extra review step into your design process.
Change control also protects the maker at the bench. They are not left guessing whether a comment made on a site visit was a decision or an idea, and they are not blamed for building what the drawing said. When a change arrives after parts are already cut, everyone can see what it costs in timber and time before the client decides, which is a fairer conversation for both sides.
Do changes trip you up?
- Clients request changes by text after sign-off.
- A piece has been built to an old version of the design.
- Invoices for changes have been disputed.
- The bench hears about changes second hand.
- Changes push delivery dates without anyone telling the client.