List what’s in and out
Fill in the details and the document writes itself. Copy it when it reads right.
Scope of work
SCOPE OF WORK: Website redesign INCLUDED ✓ Discovery workshop (half day) ✓ Sitemap & content plan ✓ Design system + 5 key pages ✓ Responsive build in Webflow ✓ QA & launch ✓ 30 days post-launch support NOT INCLUDED (available as add-ons) • Copywriting • Photography • Ongoing maintenance Anything outside this list is a change request. Happy to quote it separately so the timeline and budget stay honest.
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How to use the scope of work template
- Name the project.
- List each deliverable on its own line.
- List what you’re not doing, then copy the scope.
- Read it back from your client’s side: could they tell what’s in and what’s out?
How the scope of work template works
A scope of work is two lists and one rule. The first list sets what you’ll deliver, the second heads off assumptions, and the rule says anything else is a change request, quoted separately.
The structureincluded ✓ + not included • + the change-request rule
Quantities do most of the work. “Five key pages” and “two rounds of revisions” settle questions that “website design” leaves open, and they give you both something to point at when a new request comes in.
- Deliverables listed
- 6
- Exclusions listed
- 3
- Client asks for copywriting
- Quoted as an add-on
- Timeline and fee
- Unchanged
When the client asked for copywriting, the scope already said it wasn’t included, so it became a quoted add-on rather than an awkward conversation.
Scope of work template FAQ
What’s the difference between a scope of work and a proposal?
The proposal sells the project; the scope of work defines it. Most proposals include a scope section, and this is that section.
How detailed should a scope of work be?
Detailed enough that a stranger could tell whether a request is in or out. Name quantities: five pages, two rounds of revisions. Date them too, and let the working days calculator check that each deadline leaves enough working days.
Why list exclusions?
Most scope creep starts with an assumption. Writing down what isn’t included is the kindest way to say no in advance.
What happens when the client wants more?
Treat it as a change request: quote it, agree it, then add it to the scope.
Who should write the scope of work?
You should, because you know what the work involves. Write it from the brief and your discovery call, then walk your client through it before they sign, so nothing in it comes as a surprise. If they work in another time zone, the time zone meeting planner finds an hour for that call that suits you both.
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