Treat a revision as a new decision
A revised total is useful only if the customer understands what changed. Start by writing a one-sentence reason for the revision: add the bedroom ceiling, remove the closet, or correct a measured wall length. Keep that reason separate from the full scope description. When several requests arrive in different messages, collect them into one list before editing. This prevents a casual comment from quietly becoming an included task and gives both sides a clear set of changes to review.
Preserve the previous version
Keep the earlier estimate in your project records before changing the working copy. Use a revision label and date that make the sequence clear, such as revision 2 prepared after the September 10 walkthrough. Do not reuse the same filename for every downloaded document if that makes older copies indistinguishable. A customer may still have the previous PDF open on a phone. The latest document should identify itself clearly without relying on the recipient remembering which message arrived last.
Show the arithmetic behind the change
Imagine an invented estimate total of $2,400. The customer asks to remove a $300 closet scope and add a $450 ceiling scope. The revised total is $2,400 − $300 + $450 = $2,550, an increase of $150. These are fictional amounts, not suggested prices. Showing the two changes separately is more useful than saying that the job increased by $150, because the customer can see that one task was removed while a different task was added.
| Revision item | Fictional amount |
|---|---|
| Previous total | $2,400 |
| Remove closet | −$300 |
| Add ceiling | +$450 |
| Revised total | $2,550 |
Separate corrections from additional work
A correction to your own quantity is different from a customer requesting another room. Describe those reasons accurately. For a measurement correction, identify the affected line and the corrected quantity without hiding it inside a new package price. For additional work, name the new surface and what is included. If the information is still uncertain, label the pending assumption and request the missing detail. A revision should reduce ambiguity rather than make the newest total appear more authoritative than the inputs support.
Make the next message easy to understand
A short message can say: I have attached revision 2. It removes the closet walls and adds the bedroom ceiling. The revised total is $2,550. Please review the updated scope and tell me if it matches the work you want included. Send the message yourself through your normal communication channel. Do not imply that opening a PDF records approval or that a shared link creates an electronic acceptance workflow. Keep any actual confirmation in your own project records.
Check every place the old assumption appears
Before sharing, compare the revised line items, notes, options, and total against the change list. If the ceiling moved into the base scope, remove any note that still calls it excluded. If a room was removed, make sure its associated materials or allowance did not remain by accident. Finally, verify which file or link you are sending. A careful two-minute consistency review can be more useful than a long cover message trying to explain a document that contradicts itself.