How to write a scope of work that stops arguments
The scope is the part of the estimate that gets argued about later. Here is how to write one in five minutes that does not.
Price disputes are almost never about the price. They are about what the price included. A customer who expected the old unit hauled off, and a contractor who did not, will fight over $150 for a week. The scope of work is where that fight is prevented, before anyone picks up a tool.
One line per thing you will do
Not a paragraph. A list. Each line is one task a customer can picture: "Remove existing water heater." "Install new 50-gallon gas unit." "Replace supply lines and shutoff." "Haul off old unit." Five short lines beat two long sentences, because the customer can check them off in their head and so can you when the job is done.
Say what is not included
Two or three lines, right under the scope. "Does not include drywall repair, painting, or relocating the unit." The things you leave out are the things that become a change order, and a change order that was written down in advance is a courtesy instead of an argument. How to write a change order, for when the wall is open and there is a surprise.
Name the materials when they matter
"Rheem 50-gallon, 6-year tank warranty" tells the customer what they are buying and stops the comparison to a cheaper bid using a cheaper unit. "Owens Corning architectural shingles, 30-year" does the same for a roof. If the customer is supplying something, say so: "Customer supplies tile."
Examples by trade
- Plumbing: Remove existing 50-gallon gas water heater. Install new Rheem 50-gallon unit. New expansion tank. Replace supply lines and shutoff. Pull permit and schedule inspection. Haul off old unit. Not included: venting changes, gas line relocation.
- Electrical: Replace 100A panel with 200A panel. New meter base. Two new 20A kitchen circuits. Label all breakers. Permit and inspection included. Not included: drywall repair around the panel.
- Roofing: Tear off two layers of shingles. Replace damaged decking at chimney, up to four sheets. Ice and water shield at eaves and valleys. Synthetic underlayment. Architectural shingles. New pipe boots and ridge vent. Haul off and magnet sweep. Not included: decking beyond four sheets, billed at $85 a sheet.
- Painting: Living room, hall, two bedrooms. Patch nail holes and light drywall repair. Two coats on walls, semi-gloss on trim. Customer moves furniture and removes wall items. Not included: ceilings, closets.
- Landscaping: Remove existing bed plantings along front walk. Install 12 boxwoods and 6 hydrangeas per plan. Edge and mulch, 3 inches hardwood. Adjust two sprinkler heads. Not included: irrigation repair beyond head adjustment.
Three lines that end most disputes before they start
- A valid-through date, so an old price is not accepted after your costs move.
- A line for surprises: "Unforeseen conditions behind walls or under slab will be quoted separately before work continues."
- What happens with permits: who pulls them, whether the fee is included.
Write it where you can send it
A scope typed into a text message is a scope the customer cannot sign and you cannot find in six months. Type it once into something that lays it out, puts your name on it, and records the acceptance. Finished examples for 24 trades, and a writer that turns rough notes into a scope.
Free, no account: job price calculator, markup vs margin, hourly rate, and 84 sample estimates.
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