Are you about to take on a new project? As a tradie, it’s crucial you are very clear about what everyone’s responsibilities are and how everything will get completed within the agreed timeframe to satisfy your client and make sure you’re both on the same page. How can you do this? Simple: with a well-outlined plan, known as a scope of work.
What is a scope of work in construction?
Think of your scope of work document as your game plan. It outlines the work you’ll perform on a project and acts as a road map of all the steps you need to take. A scope of work is a critical component of a building contract because it establishes the responsibilities on both ends — homeowners and builders. It’s typically written by the project manager whose job is to deliver the project. It can be collaborative and include stakeholders or the client, it depends on the case.
Why is a scope of work in construction important?
A scope of work is written after a project agreement has been made between a project manager and client, but before the project officially begins. A scope of work is especially important in construction projects because it makes sure there’s clarity and alignment between what was agreed upon. A well-defined scope of work outlines the tasks to be completed, identifies who is involved and their responsibilities, specifies the costs, and serves as a contract to hold all parties accountable.
How to get ready to write a scope of work
Before putting pen to paper to write out your scope, take these preliminary steps to brainstorm what should be included:
- Understand the overall project and what’s needed: Start to think about what this particular project entails and how you’re going to conquer it.
- Consider time: Begin to analyse how much time you have to complete the project — weeks, months, or years — and how that aligns with the client’s expectations.
- Assess current resources: Create a mind map of tasks within your abilities and figure out where they may be gaps.
Once you’ve taken a look at where you are, and where you need to go, brainstorm with your team to come up with a plan of attack and engage with your client to define project details and goals. This will help everyone to have a mutual understanding of the direction and scope.
How to write a scope of work — what’s included?
Once you’ve thought about it and you’re ready to put it on paper, these are the key details that must be included to give everyone a clear understanding.
- Project description: At the beginning, you’ll need to provide some general information that you and your client have agreed on so far, such as the name of the project, who is managing it, and the location of it. Other details to consider adding would be dates of the projected service, client contact details, and client address. The more information you can provide that’s clear and concise, the better.
- Project objective: Adding in the project objective of what you’re planning to achieve is crucial for both parties to be on the same page. It’s got to be a SMART goal—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timebound. For example, let’s say you're constructing new apartments with a new client who's funding it, you wouldn’t just say “let’s build them!” Instead, you’d develop an objective that would sound more like: build a 20 unit apartment in Melbourne CBD within a budget of $10 million by June 2026. It’s SMART and focused on a particular outcome.
- Project deliverables: Once you know what must be achieved through the objective, you’ll want to specifically outline who is responsible for getting it done and what equipment may be needed. The client should define acceptance criteria for these deliverables, so everyone knows what the baseline is that must be met. Some examples for a building project could be:
- Get architectural drawings approved by the design team.
- Have the site supervisor submit inspection reports and permit details prior to demolition.
- Team and resources: Be sure to include the key contractors and subcontractors involved in the project, along with a detailed list of materials or resources required for completion. This will give everyone a clear understanding of where their money is going and what’s necessary to support workers and their needs.
- Timeline: Review your project plan and arrange all tasks in chronological order. Assess the duration required for each stage and collaborate with your team to determine realistic timeframes and decide on the key milestones that need to be achieved by certain periods. Then, use this information to create a clear month-by-month calendar to guide the project’s progress. The Critical Path Method (CPM) can be useful in developing your timeline. This method focuses on adding key activities that must occur sequentially before the others in order for the project to progress. Any delays in these critical activities can impact the overall timeline, which helps everyone stay on task.
- Budget: To manage the budgeting process well, lay out a pricing chart for all your material needs, employee labour costs, and miscellaneous expenses. Once discussed with your client, have a clear explanation of how you both agreed the payment would be for the project. Will it be a payment plan? Will it be monthly? Will it be before the project starts and then the other half when the project ends? Be up front so there is no miscommunication.
- Project reports: It’s important to report throughout the time you’re working on the project, which can later be shared to your stakeholders, sponsors, or client. Anything from status reports to progress reports can be beneficial because they are a formal record filled with all the data of the progress of your project. Keep them organised and share when they are complete.
- Project exclusions: Outline what is out of scope or tasks that are not included in the scope of the project. If there are any materials that can’t be used, or areas that need to be avoided, those details must be in the exclusion section.
- Signatures: Last but not least, you’ll want to leave a section for all parties involved to sign to make sure everyone has read and understood the scope of work.
Overall, you’ll want your construction scope of work to be direct, concise, and easy to read. You can do this by incorporating visuals, such as images and videos, which can help readers understand ideas and concepts better. You also can do it by being transparent about expectations to ensure the client has a thorough understanding of what will be delivered from start to finish. And of course, add in the sections that are above to cover all the details.
Manage your scope of work efficiently
To create your scope of work, you can use a branded template or create a document from scratch in a format you prefer. Make sure others can download and save it. Keep a template version, so you won’t have to create a new one every time. Your scope of work template can provide a roadmap saving you time for future projects. Would you like to try a free construction scope of work template? Check out our template here. It’s a great way to look professional!
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