Write the scope while you are still looking at the job

A scope of work says what will be done, where it will be done, and what is out of scope. Most contractors write it from memory after they leave the site. Walkflow drafts that scope from the walkthrough you recorded, and each line links back to the photo or the moment you said it.

Want the blank first? Copy the scope of work template, with a filled-in example and the mistakes to avoid.

Why scopes fall apart

The walkthrough is clear, but the documentation is a drag. You remember the main task and forget the exclusion you said at the door. The client remembers the extra. You both think the scope said what you remember.

A scope that is only a price has the same problem. The number is there. The work is not.

What to say while you walk

Say the job in the order you would want to read it later:

1. What this job includes
2. Where the work is to be conducted
3. What is out of scope (try to be as explicit as possible)
4. What you are assuming
5. What the client will supply

Snapshot the things you are excluding, not only the areas you are going to be working in or items that need addressing. Walkflow drafts the scope from that. It does not invent a contract, and you are free to edit it before sending to your client.

Quote items are a different document. Walkflow puts labour and materials as lines in a table without a total, keeping them separate so the scope stays about the work.

What a usable scope reads like

Here is sample wording for a small bathroom job. It is an example of the level of detail, not a real job.

• Includes: remove the existing vanity and basin, supply and fit the new vanity, reconnect hot, cold and waste, silicone the splashback.
• Where: main bathroom only, upstairs.
• Out of scope: tiling, repainting, moving the waste point, any rot or damage found behind the old vanity.
• Assumptions: the existing isolation valves work and the wall is flat enough to fix to without packing.
• Client supplies: the vanity unit and tapware, and clear access on the day.

Each line is short enough to dispute. If the client reads one and says they thought it was included, you want to hear that before you start.

Gaps worth checking before you send it

Most disputes come from the same few places:

• Making good. Who patches and paints after the work, and to what standard?
• Access and parking. Whether the client clears the area, and who pays for a skip or a permit.
• Hidden conditions. What happens to price and time if you open a wall and find something you did not expect.
• Rubbish. Whether removal and tip fees are in.
• Who orders what. If the client supplies materials, who is responsible when the wrong ones turn up.

If you said any of these out loud on the walk, they are in the recording. If you did not, say them before you leave the property and snapshot the spot.

Wording that holds up

Name the thing and the place: "replace two power points in the kitchen splashback" beats "electrical work in the kitchen". Put a number on anything that has one. Use "supply and fit" or "fit only" so nobody has to guess who buys the material. Write exclusions as plainly as inclusions, and keep each sentence to one job.

Send with the click of a button

The client should be able to open one link and see the scope next to the moment you described it. That is the same link in how to send a client a video walkthrough. Builders hit this on every variation; see the site walkthrough app for builders.

If you want the headings on paper first, copy the scope of work template. If the old method is a voice note after you leave, read Walkflow vs voice notes and photo texts.

Common questions

Is a scope of work the same as a quote?

No. The scope describes the work. The quote puts prices on it. Walkflow keeps them as separate documents so changing a price does not change what you agreed to do.

How detailed should a scope be?

Detailed enough that two people reading it would picture the same finished job. If a line could mean two things, split it or add the number.

Can I change the draft Walkflow writes?

Yes. Every document is a draft from what you said on the walk, and you edit it before the client sees it.