Scope of work

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The list of exactly what the contractor will do on the job, and by implication what they will not.

The scope is the heart of the bid. It names the work in lines a customer can read: remove the old unit, install the new one, haul the old one away, pull the permit. Each line is a promise, and anything not on a line is not promised.

Most disputes on residential jobs are scope disputes: the customer assumed something was included that the contractor never priced. A scope with an "not included" line underneath it prevents nearly all of them.

Related: Exclusions · Change order · Proposal

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