Setting Boundaries with Clients: How to Start?

When I first started freelance writing, I had zero boundaries.

Clients would email me at midnight, ask for revisions during nap time, and schedule Zoom calls that cut right into dinner with my kids.

I was so afraid of coming off rude or bossy that I just said yes to everything.

And honestly?

It left me overwhelmed, stretched thin, and low-key resentful of the work I used to love.

It wasn’t until I started working with more clients and gained more experience that I realized something had to change.

I could still be kind, professional, and helpful while also setting clear boundaries.

In fact, the right clients actually respected me more for it.

If you’re feeling stuck in that too-nice-to-say-no stage, this post will help you get out of it.

You’ll learn exactly how to start setting boundaries with clients in a way that feels calm, confident, and clear.

No guilt required.

Define Your Working Hours So Clients Know When to Expect You

Setting your work hours is the first step in protecting and managing your time and energy.

It keeps you from constantly reacting to emails or messages during family time, weekends, or when you’re just trying to catch a break.

The freedom of freelancing is amazing, but without boundaries around your schedule, it can start to feel like you’re always on.

Pick hours that actually work for your life.

Maybe you write in the mornings before the kids wake up, or block off Fridays completely for admin work and errands.

Maybe you only take client calls on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 2.

The hours don’t have to look like a traditional 9 to 5—they just need to work for you.

Once you decide what your workday looks like, share it everywhere.

Add your hours to your welcome packet, email signature, website, and client onboarding forms.

You can even include a line like, “Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am to 3pm EST. I check and respond to messages during these hours.”

If a client emails at 10 p.m. or sends a Slack message during the weekend, you’re not being rude or unprofessional by waiting until you’re back at your desk to reply.

You’re simply honoring the boundaries you clearly communicated.

That consistency builds trust and makes you look more organized and reliable.

I learned this the hard way.

In my early days, I would respond to messages late at night while rocking one twin to sleep and trying to keep the other entertained.

I thought being “available” all the time made me look committed.

But all it did was train clients to expect 24/7 responses.

Once I got clear on my hours and actually stuck to them, my work improved, my stress dropped, and my clients respected my time more.

Give yourself permission to set a schedule that works around your real life.

The clients you want to work with will honor it.

Create a Communication Plan to Set the Tone Early

Decide how you’ll talk with clients and make that decision before the project even begins.

Will you use email only?

Are you okay with Slack or prefer Voxer?

Maybe you’re fine with texting for quick approvals or last-minute check-ins, or maybe that’s a no-go.

You get to choose the method that keeps your workflow smooth and your brain uncluttered.

Personally, I stick to email for almost everything.

I let clients know I reply within 24 business hours so they’re not waiting around or expecting a reply while I’m at the grocery store or trying to get my kids into bed.

This one step alone helped cut down on so much pressure.

Before I did that, I used to check my inbox constantly, worried a client might feel ignored or think I wasn’t working hard enough.

Once you’ve decided how and when you’ll respond, write it down somewhere clients will see it.

Add it to your welcome packet, your onboarding doc, or even the first email you send after signing a contract.

You can say something like, “I check email Monday through Thursday and respond within 24 business hours.”

That simple line sets expectations and takes away the guesswork.

The key is to follow through.

When clients see that you consistently reply within the window you promised, they start to trust your rhythm.

They don’t panic if they don’t hear from you immediately because you already told them what to expect.

And that trust gives you room to work more calmly and confidently.

Make Your Scope Super Clear So You’re Not Doing Extra Work

Scope creep is real, and it sneaks in when you don’t set clear expectations up front.

It’s not always intentional.

Clients may assume something is included unless you say otherwise.

And if you don’t outline your scope clearly, it’s easy for extra requests to pile up without extra pay.

Spell out exactly what’s included in every service you offer.

That might be one blog post up to 1,000 words with two rounds of edits.

Or a one-hour strategy call followed by a recap doc and one round of revisions. Whatever you deliver, write it out in your contract, your onboarding doc, or even the project proposal.

You want the client to know what they’re getting and what’s outside of that.

When someone asks for something extra, you don’t have to stress or overthink your response.

You can say something like, “That sounds great. I can send over a quick quote for that addition” or “I’d love to help with that and will send an updated invoice.”

You’re not shutting them down. You’re simply offering a clear path forward.

This approach makes you look like a pro and keeps you from getting buried in unpaid work.

I used to say yes to everything thinking I’d look more helpful.

But all that did was stretch me too thin and make me resent the projects I once enjoyed.

Being upfront about scope is one of the best ways to protect your energy, your time, and your income.

Use a Welcome Packet to Set Boundaries Before the Project Even Begins

A simple welcome PDF or Google Doc can be a total game-changer.

It’s your chance to set expectations before the work even starts, which saves you so much time and back-and-forth later.

This one document can include your office hours, how you prefer to be contacted, what’s included in the project, how and when you invoice, and what happens if a deadline gets missed on either side.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. I’ve sent welcome packets as plain Google Docs with bolded sections and a few line breaks for readability.

The point isn’t to impress with design—it’s to create clarity.

You might include a note that says, “I’m available for emails Monday through Thursday and reply within 24 business hours.” Or, “Two rounds of revisions are included. Additional edits are billed at $50 per round.”

The best part?

Once you’ve made it, you can reuse it over and over.

No more rewriting the same info or scrambling to answer the same client questions again and again.

It helps you look polished, prepared, and ready to guide the project instead of just reacting to it.

I used to skip this step when I first started because I thought it felt too formal.

But once I started using a welcome doc, my projects ran smoother, and clients felt more confident working with me.

Setting expectations early makes the rest of the project so much easier on everyone.

Use Scripts When Clients Push

Even the nicest clients might test a boundary now and then, and it doesn’t always come from a bad place.

Sometimes they’re just used to working with freelancers who say yes to everything.

Other times, they’re moving fast and forget what was agreed on.

Having a go-to script ready helps you stay grounded instead of freezing up or feeling like you have to give in.

For example, if a client asks for a quick call outside your work hours, you could say, “I don’t take calls outside of 10 to 2, but I do have a few open slots tomorrow if that works for you.”

If they request extra deliverables that weren’t part of your original scope, try something like, “That sounds like a great addition. Let me send over a quick estimate so we can add that to the project.”

These kinds of responses keep the conversation positive while also holding your boundary.

You’re not shutting them down or saying no without options. You’re saying yes, but with structure.

And that small shift can make your client feel supported while also keeping your time protected.

I used to freeze when someone pushed back or asked for more than what we agreed on. I didn’t want to come off difficult.

But once I had a few simple responses ready to go, it got so much easier to stay calm and lead the conversation.

Clients notice that confidence, and it often leads to smoother projects and better working relationships.

Revisit Your Process as Your Client Load Grows

Boundaries aren’t one-and-done.

They’re something you come back to again and again as your workload, client mix, and personal life shift.

What worked for you when you had one or two clients might not work when you’re juggling five or more.

And that’s completely normal.

You might have started out replying to emails on weekends just to keep things moving.

But if that’s beginning to feel overwhelming or like it’s creeping into family time, that’s a sign it’s time to adjust.

Maybe you realize that taking calls in the afternoons doesn’t work anymore because your house is too noisy or your energy is low by then.

That’s your cue to move things around.

It’s okay to update your boundaries and communicate them as you grow.

You’re not being flaky.

You’re being intentional.

I’ve sent mid-project updates to clients saying something like, “I’m shifting my office hours a bit to better manage my client load. I’ll now be replying to emails Monday through Thursday.”

And guess what? Every time I’ve done that, clients have been totally fine with it.

The goal is to protect your time and energy so you actually enjoy the work you’re doing.

When your boundaries support your real life, your freelance business feels lighter, more sustainable, and way more fun to run.