# Scope of work

*Also called: SOW, statement of work, work scope.*

**Definition.** A scope of work is the written, itemised description of exactly what a contractor will do on a job — the tasks, the materials, the quantities and the conditions. It is what a price is a price for.

A usable scope of work is a numbered list, not a paragraph. "Replace roof" is not a scope; "tear off two existing layers, install synthetic underlayment over 2,400 square feet of deck, replace all flashing at the two chimneys, haul away debris" is. The difference is whether two contractors reading it will price the same job.

A scope written before bidding is worth far more than one written after. Once each contractor has written their own version of the job, their prices describe different work, and no amount of comparison will make those numbers mean the same thing.

Good scopes also record what is not known. A roof whose deck condition cannot be seen until tear-off should say so, and say who carries that risk, rather than letting each bidder silently decide.

## Why it matters

Every downstream problem in a bid process traces back to a missing scope. Without one, the bids are not comparable, the cheapest bid is usually the least complete, and the gap surfaces as a change order once the work has started and you have lost your leverage.

## Related terms

- [Bid leveling](https://quotrium.com/glossary/bid-leveling)
- [Exclusion](https://quotrium.com/glossary/exclusion)
- [Change order](https://quotrium.com/glossary/change-order)
- [Allowance](https://quotrium.com/glossary/allowance)

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Source: https://quotrium.com/glossary/scope-of-work · Quotrium — Comparable quotes for property work