A scope of works is the part of a quote, or a separate document on bigger jobs, that says precisely what work the price covers. It lists the tasks, the quantities, the materials and who supplies them, the standard or finish expected, and the boundaries of the job: where your work starts, where it stops, and what condition the site is left in. A clear scope is what makes a fixed price possible, because it defines what is fixed. It is also the yardstick for every variation: anything not in the scope is extra, and anything in it is already paid for.
The scope works hand in hand with exclusions. The scope says what you will do; the exclusions name the nearby things you will not. Together they leave nothing for the customer to assume.
In practice
Compare two scopes for the same fence. The first reads: replace back fence, $3,400. The second reads:
- Remove and dispose of 24 metres of existing timber paling fence, posts included, at $24 a metre: $576
- Supply and install 24 metres of 1.8 metre steel sheet fence in a standard colour at $112 a metre: $2,688
- Supply and install one 900 millimetre pedestrian gate to match: $520
That is $3,784, with a note that the fence follows the existing line, posts are concreted, and the colour is chosen from the supplier's standard range before ordering. When the neighbour asks for a second gate, there is no argument about whether one gate means two. When the owner asks why the old posts did not stay, the scope says they were removed, and the removal is on its own line.
Writing a scope like that takes five extra minutes. A useful test is whether another tradie, reading only your quote, could price the same job. If they would need to ring the customer to ask questions, so will your customer, usually after the work has started. The guide on writing scope and exclusions covers the method.
In Quote Desk
The lines carry the tasks, quantities and prices, and the note carries the rest of the scope: boundaries, assumptions and who supplies what. With up to twenty lines and a note, a quote has room for the scope of most jobs a customer will accept on a phone. See the quote builder.