Two lists, not one
Most software quotes are a single list: what will be built, and a price. An exclusions list adds a second one — what will not be built in this release. On a Pricient quote it is headed Not in this release.
The two lists together are the scope. Either one alone leaves a gap that someone fills with an assumption. The quote is defined by both lists.
Why most quotes leave it out
Writing down what you will not do feels like underselling, so it rarely gets written. The cost arrives later. Disputes on software projects come from surprise far more than from gaps — the buyer assumed something was included, the vendor assumed it was not, and neither had it in writing.
An exclusions list moves that conversation to before the contract, when it is cheap.
What you will typically see on one
The items that end up on an exclusions list are the ones people assume without saying. For example:
| Not in this release | Why it gets assumed |
|---|---|
| Password reset | Every app you use has one |
| Notifications | “Of course it tells me when something happens” |
| A second language | The business serves more than one market |
| Single sign-on (SSO / SAML) | The first enterprise customer asks for it |
| A native mobile app | The web app works on phones, so the app must be next |
| Offline mode | Until the first user loses signal |
The specific items depend on the project. What matters is that they are named, one by one.
Exclusions are not assumptions
Both belong in a quote, and they do different jobs:
| Exclusions | Assumptions | |
|---|---|---|
| What it states | Features the price does not include | Conditions the price rests on |
| Example | “A second language is not in this release” | “English only, under ten thousand users, you provide the content” |
| If it changes | You add the item — at its stated price | A broken assumption is a pre-agreed trigger to re-quote, not an argument |
What a good exclusions list looks like
- Written — in the quote you sign, not in an email thread or a call.
- Specific — named features, never “anything not listed above”.
- Priced — each item carries the price to add it later.
- Signed with the quote — so it is part of the agreement, not a side note.
A template you can ask any vendor to fill in
Copy this into your next request for a quote:
| Feature not in this release | Price to add later | Notes |
|---|---|---|
A vendor who can fill it in has thought about your scope. A vendor who cannot is leaving those decisions to be made after you have signed.
How Pricient handles it
Every Pricient quote ships with the Not in this release list, each item with its backlog price, alongside the assumptions register and a three-tier itemized price. You receive all of it before you pay anything, and the quote is locked for 14 days.