Client approvals and sign-offs during a commission: what to approve and how

Most disputes over commissioned work start with a sentence like "that is not what I agreed to". The piece is finished, the client is disappointed and nobody can show exactly what was decided, or when.

Approvals prevent that. A short, dated "yes" at the right moments gives both of you a shared record of the decisions that shaped the piece. It also involves the client in the work, which most people enjoy.

This guide covers which stages need approval in different crafts, how to ask for it, how to record it, what to do when a client goes quiet and how to handle a change of mind after the fact. For the update rhythm around these decisions, see our guide to reducing "how's it going?" messages.

Key takeaways

• Ask for approval at every point of no return: the moment after which a change means remaking, not adjusting.
• Typical approval points: drawings or renders, material selection (boards, stones, hides, wood sets), samples (finish, glaze, leather, colour), the wax model before casting and setup preferences on instruments.
• Ask one clear question per message, with a photo, a deadline and what happens next.
• Record each approval with the date, the version, a photo and the client's own words.
• Agree in your contract that a late decision moves the delivery date by the same amount.
• A change after approval is a new request: price it, date it and get it agreed in writing before you start.

Points of no return

Not every stage needs a formal sign-off. A client does not need to approve how you cut a mortise. They do need to approve decisions that change what they receive and that you cannot cheaply reverse.

A useful test: if the client changed their mind about this after the next step, would you have to remake something? If yes, that step needs approval.

Lost-wax casting in jewellery is the clearest example. The North Carolina Museum of Art describes how the wax model is melted out of its mould and replaced with metal, and the mould is broken to release the cast. Once the wax has gone, so has the chance to adjust its shape cheaply. That is why many jewellers show the client the wax, or a render, before casting.

Approval points by craft

The table is illustrative. Your process may have more or fewer points.

Craft	Before work starts	During the build
Furniture	Drawings with key dimensions, timber species	The actual boards for the top or doors, finish sample on offcuts of the same timber
Jewellery	Design sketch or CAD render, metal, ring size	Stone selection (photo or viewing), wax model before casting, engraving text
Ceramics and glass	Form, size and quantity, colour direction	Glaze or colour test tiles from your own kiln, a first prototype for a set
Leather and textiles	Design, dimensions, hardware	Leather or fabric sample from the actual hide or roll, pattern or fitting for garments
Instruments	Model, scale length, woods	Wood set selection, neck profile, setup preferences (action, string gauge)
Metalwork	Drawings, site measurements	Template or mock-up on site, finish sample (paint colour, patina, powder coat)

Two notes. First, test pieces should come from the same material and process as the real one. A glaze test from a different kiln, or a finish sample on a different timber, can look quite different. Second, natural variation should be part of the approval. Grain, knots, inclusions in a stone, glaze movement and hide markings are part of the piece. Show them and say so.

How to ask for an approval

An approval request should stand out from routine updates. Put it in its own message, or at the very top of an update.

A good request has five parts:

1. The decision. One question that can be answered yes or no, or with a choice between named options.
2. What they are approving. A photo, drawing or sample, with a version number or date.
3. What it means. One sentence on what happens next and why this is the point to decide.
4. A deadline. "By Thursday 12th, so I can start the glue-up on Monday."
5. What happens if the decision is late. Polite, factual and agreed in advance.

Approval request (template) "Decision needed by [date]: please approve [item]. Attached: [photo/drawing], version [x], dated [date]. Once you approve, I will [next step]. After that, changes to [aspect] would mean [remaking / extra cost], so this is the moment to ask for anything you would like different. Please reply 'Approved' or tell me what you would like changed. If I have not heard by [date], your delivery date will move by the same number of days, as set out in our agreement."

An example in ceramics (illustrative): "Decision needed by Friday: please approve the glaze for your dinner set. Attached are three test tiles fired in my kiln last week, labelled A, B and C. Once you choose, I glaze and fire all twelve plates, and the colour cannot be changed after that. Please reply with A, B or C."

Recording approvals

An approval is only useful if you can find it later. For each one, keep:

• The date of the request and of the reply.
• What was shown, with a photo or file and a version label.
• The client's words. "Approved", "Option B" or "Yes, but 5 mm narrower".
• Any change requested and how it affected price or date.

Keep all of this in one place per commission, in date order, next to your progress updates. A shared project page, a single email thread or a folder works. Our guide to client updates during a build explains why one channel matters.

If the client approves in person or by phone, write it down the same day:

Follow-up after a verbal approval (template) "Thanks for coming in today. To confirm what we agreed: you approved [item, version], with one change: [change]. I will start [next step] on [date]. If I have got anything wrong, please reply by [date]."

Approvals also help with the law, though they are not a substitute for a clear contract. In the UK, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (s.13) says goods supplied by reference to a sample seen before the contract must match it, except for differences pointed out to the consumer before the contract. So point out the differences between any sample and the finished piece early, and in writing. This is general information, not legal advice; check how it applies to your contracts.

When a client does not respond

Silence is common. People travel, get busy or feel unsure and put it off. Plan for it.

Put it in the contract. Before the work starts, agree that decisions needed from the client have a reasonable deadline and that late decisions move the delivery date. Our contract template guide shows where such a clause fits.

Use a simple reminder sequence:

1. On the deadline day: a friendly reminder with the photo attached again.
2. Two or three working days later: a second message that says plainly what the delay does.
3. If there is still no answer: pause the work on that piece, tell the client in writing, and give a new date that depends on their reply.

Second reminder (template) "I am still waiting for your decision on [item]. I have paused work on your [piece] at [stage] until I hear from you. Each week without a decision moves delivery by about a week, so the current estimate is [new date]. If it is easier to talk it through, I am happy to call."

Do not decide for them. It is tempting to pick the option you think they will like and carry on. If they later disagree, you have no approval to point to. If you do have to proceed (for example, a finish that cannot wait), say exactly what you will do and when, and give them time to object.

In Poland, the Civil Code has a specific rule for contracts for a specific work (umowa o dzieło): where the client's cooperation is needed and missing, the maker may set an appropriate deadline and, if it passes, withdraw from the contract (art. 640). That is a last resort and a legal step, so take advice before using it.

When the client changes their mind after approval

It happens. The client sees the dry-fit table in the photo and wants it 10 cm longer. They approved a gold colour and now want white gold. They saw a friend's bag and want a different strap.

How you respond depends on where you are relative to the point of no return.

Situation	What to do
Before the point of no return	Often fine. Confirm the change in writing and note any effect on price or date.
After, but the change is small	Explain what it involves, offer a fixed price and new date, and wait for a written yes.
After, and the change means remaking	Treat it as a new request: new materials, new time, new price. Offer alternatives, such as keeping the piece as approved.
The client says the approval was a mistake on your part	Look at the record together. If your sample or drawing was misleading, take responsibility. If it was clear, explain kindly and offer the paid change.

Change after approval (template) "Happy to look at that. You approved [item] on [date] (photo attached), and I have since [what was done]. Making this change now would mean [what is involved]. That would cost [amount] and move delivery to [date]. Alternatively, I can finish it as approved. Let me know which you prefer, and I will only start the change once you confirm in writing."

For pricing and agreeing changes in more detail, see our guide to change requests during a commission.

Stay neutral. The record is there to make the conversation easy, not to win an argument. Most clients accept a fair price for a change once they see the dated approval.

A short checklist

• List your points of no return for each type of piece you make.
• Agree at the start: which decisions are needed, rough timing and what late decisions do to the date.
• One decision per request, with a photo, version, deadline and consequence.
• Record the date, version, photo and the client's words.
• Confirm verbal approvals in writing the same day.
• Treat changes after the point of no return as new, priced requests.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and how they apply depends on the facts of each case. Before a decision about your own contract, product or business, check the current text with the relevant authority or ask a lawyer.

Sources

• Rodin's Lost-Wax Casting Process, North Carolina Museum of Art: the wax model is melted out of the mould and replaced by metal; the mould is broken to release the cast
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 13, legislation.gov.uk: goods supplied by reference to a sample must match it, except for differences pointed out before the contract
• Kodeks cywilny, art. 640 (consolidated text Dz.U. 2026 poz. 795), Sejm RP: maker's right to set a deadline and withdraw when the client's needed cooperation is missing