Scope of work: a practical checklist for small builders

What a scope of work means on a refurb job

A scope of work is a written description of what you are responsible for at the agreed price.

In plain language it should answer:

What work are we doing, where are we doing it, which materials are included and what is not included in the price?

The scope may sit inside your quote or be attached to the contract you normally use. Either way it should make clear:

• which tasks you and your team will carry out;
• which materials you supply;
• which materials the client supplies;
• which items will be priced separately as extras.

With a decent scope, you are not relying on memory, text messages and conversations from the first visit. Both sides can go back to the agreed document and check what was actually included.

For small builders and trades this is especially useful. One person often handles the survey, quote, client contact, organising the work and final invoice.

Where jobs usually go wrong

Most arguments start when part of the agreement was never written down or the description in the quote was too loose.

Typical examples:

• the homeowner assumes painting after tiling is included in the bathroom price;
• a subcontractor says hacking off old plaster was never in his package;
• you allowed for carrying rubble to the front garden, but not skip hire or disposal;
• the client expects extra items because the job was described as a full refurb;
• once you strip out, walls and floors need far more making good than was visible at survey.

Take a terraced-house kitchen refit. The quote says only:

Kitchen refurbishment. Materials by client.

Half way through, you find that walls need skimming, the whole room needs painting and the old units and tiles need to be removed from site. The homeowner may see that as part of doing the kitchen. You see unpaid extras.

It is much easier if the scope says from the start:

Scope does not include full skimming of walls, painting the whole room or off-site disposal of old units, tiles and waste.

The client immediately knows what the price covers. If they want more, you have a clear starting point for a variation.

What a solid scope of work should include

Your scope does not have to be a long legal document. For a simple refurb, one or two pages can be enough if the key risks are covered.

The easiest method is to mirror your estimate. If your price is split by room, stage or trade, use the same structure in the scope. That way you can check that every priced item is described and every described item is priced.

1. Job details

At the top include:

• job name, for example Bathroom refurb, Flat 3, 12 Green Street;
• site address;
• client details;
• your business details;
• date of the document;
• version number.

A version number may feel fussy, but it helps when the client changes tiles, moves a fitting or agrees a new layout. You update the document and everyone knows which version is current.

2. Short description of the works

Add a short overview of the job.

Example:

Full refurbishment of a bathroom of approximately 3.5 m² in a first-floor flat, including strip-out of existing fittings and tiles, alterations to plumbing and electrics within the room, surface preparation, tiling, sanitary fit-off and painting of the ceiling.

This gives the client a quick picture. The detail on tasks, quantities, units and prices comes later.

3. Work by room, stage or trade

The scope should line up with the way you cost the job. If your estimate separates strip-out, plumbing, electrics, tiling and fit-off, use the same headings.

Sample bathroom scope:

Strip-out

• remove bath or shower tray, basin, WC and taps;
• remove wall and floor tiles in the bathroom;
• carry waste to the area agreed with the client, such as front garden or bin store.

Plumbing

• run hot, cold and waste pipework to suit the agreed bathroom layout;
• install wall-hung WC frame where included in the quote;
• connect all sanitaryware covered by the quote.

Electrics

• install two lighting points;
• install two socket outlets;
• fit switches, sockets and light fittings supplied by the client.

Preparation and tiling

• prepare wall and floor surfaces as allowed for in the estimate;
• apply tanking or waterproofing to agreed wet areas;
• fix wall tiles up to the agreed height;
• fix floor tiles to the whole bathroom floor;
• grout and silicone internal corners and junctions with fittings.

Fit-off and finishing

• fit vanity unit with basin;
• fit WC, taps, shower mixer and screen or enclosure;
• prepare and apply two coats of paint to the ceiling;
• basic clean of the bathroom on completion.

You do not need to list every minor action. The wording should be clear enough that there is no doubt where the included service stops.

4. Quantities, units and basis of the price

Where you charge per square metre, metre run, point or item, include the quantity and unit.

Examples:

• wall tiling - 24 m²;
• ceiling painting - 4 m²;
• socket outlet installation - 3 items;
• plumbing points - 4 points;
• skirting board installation - 28 m.

It also helps to say what each unit price includes. Surface preparation might mean priming only, or it might include filling small holes and light skimming. The clearer the basis of your price, the easier it is later to show that certain extras were not allowed for.

5. Materials and fittings

The phrase materials by client is rarely enough. Spell out who buys and supplies what.

Example:

• Materials by contractor: tile adhesive and grout, silicone, filler, plugs, screws and standard consumables.
• Materials by client: tiles, brassware, sanitaryware, vanity unit, other furniture, towel rail or radiator and light fittings.
• Tiles: porcelain, 600 x 600 mm, straight lay, no feature bands, mosaics or complex patterns.

Tile format and layout, type of fittings and condition of existing surfaces can all add time and cost. Do not leave them as assumptions.

If you are working from drawings, identify them:

Tile layout as per bathroom drawing supplied by the client on 15 May 2026.

Also agree when client-supplied items must be on site. No tiles, taps or kitchen units usually means the next trade cannot start, which pushes the programme.

6. What the price includes and excludes

This is one of the most important parts of the scope. List the main inclusions and the key exclusions.

Price includes:

• protection to the internal access route, such as dust sheets over stairs and landing;
• all works listed in the scope sections;
• carrying rubbish to the area agreed with the client;
• basic clean of the work area at the end;
• use of standard fixings and sundries described in the quote.

Price excludes:

• painting to rooms other than the bathroom being refurbished;
• changes to services outside the area described in the scope;
• supply of tiles, sanitaryware, furniture and light fittings;
• skip hire, rubbish sacks or grab lorry for waste removal;
• off-site disposal of waste;
• moving or storing furniture in other rooms;
• window cleaning or full builders' clean.

On refurb work, be especially clear about:

• levelling and making good walls and floors;
• protection of existing finishes and communal areas;
• who removes and disposes of old fittings and waste;
• moving and protecting client furniture and belongings;
• deliveries and unloading of materials;
• work outside the rooms listed in the quote;
• repairs to hidden defects that only show up after strip-out.

These are the points that often cause the I thought that was included argument.

7. Assumptions behind your price

Your estimate is based on what you could see and reasonably judge during the survey. You cannot always know the full condition of walls, wiring, plumbing or floors hidden under finishes.

Add a short list of assumptions:

• existing plumbing and electrics outside the surveyed areas are in working order and do not need full replacement;
• there is no significant damp, rot or mould requiring extra works beyond those priced;
• walls and floors need only the level of making good allowed for in the quote;
• no major hidden damage will be uncovered when finishes are removed;
• electricity and water will be available throughout the works;
• the client will provide access during agreed working hours;
• client-supplied materials will be delivered before the relevant stage starts;
• access is suitable for bringing in materials and taking out waste.

If one of these assumptions proves wrong, you can price a variation instead of absorbing the cost. Assumptions do not replace a proper survey. They document the unknowns you could not sensibly check in advance.

8. Timings and client responsibilities

The scope is not a full programme, but it should cover time and client input.

Include:

• planned start date;
• approximate duration;
• key stages such as strip-out, first fix, tiling and final fit-off;
• latest date for client materials to be on site;
• how you will get access;
• how changes will be confirmed;
• which client delays may push the finish date.

Example:

Expected duration is approximately 15 working days, subject to tiles, sanitaryware and fittings being delivered by the client in time for each stage.

This makes it clear that the programme depends on both sides.

9. How to handle changes

New requests and unforeseen work are normal on refurb jobs. The important thing is to control them.

A simple rule is that any change or extra requires:

1. a short description of the extra work;
2. a separate price;
3. a note on any effect on the programme;
4. client approval before work starts.

Example wording:

Any works not listed in the agreed scope, any changes requested by the client and any additional works required due to hidden conditions revealed during the job will be priced separately. They will only be carried out once the client has approved the cost and any change to the completion date.

That way you are not doing freebies on the fly and trying to add them to the final bill.

10. Accepting the scope

Finally, the scope needs a clear way for the client to accept it. That might be:

• signing the quote that includes the scope;
• replying to an email accepting the quote and scope of works;
• approving it in your job-management system;
• another method you both use consistently.

The key is being able to show which version was accepted. Your scope should line up with your quote and contract. This article is practical guidance, not legal advice.

Simple scope-of-work template to copy

1. Job details

Job name: Site address: Client: Contractor: Date prepared: Version number:

2. Job overview

Short description of the refurb, the rooms covered and the main tasks.

3. Scope of works

Room or stage 1

• task name;
• description of what is included;
• quantity and unit;
• special notes.

Room or stage 2

• task name;
• description of what is included;
• quantity and unit;
• special notes.

4. Materials by contractor

• material;
• material;
• material.

5. Materials by client

• material or fitting;
• material or fitting;
• material or fitting.

6. Price includes

• agreed core tasks;
• necessary associated works;
• protection measures;
• basic clean.

7. Price excludes

• works outside the described scope;
• purchase of named materials or fittings;
• transport or disposal of waste;
• work in other rooms;
• repairs to defects that could not reasonably be seen at survey.

8. Assumptions

• condition of services;
• condition of surfaces and structure;
• access to the property;
• delivery of materials.

9. Timings

Planned start: Approximate duration: Key stages: Deadline for client-supplied materials:

10. Changes during the job

Works not listed in the agreed scope, client-requested changes and extra works due to hidden conditions will be priced separately and confirmed before starting.

11. Sign-off

Date: Client: Contractor:

How a good scope helps with extras

A tight scope does not freeze the job. It gives you a clean line between included and extra.

Imagine your flat refurb scope says:

Price does not include altering wall positions except where shown on the approved layout.

During the job, the client wants to move a stud wall to make a bedroom bigger. Because the original scope is clear, you can explain that this is additional work and needs a separate price.

The steps are simple:

1. describe the change;
2. price the extra and note any timing impact;
3. send a variation by email or through your app;
4. start once approved;
5. keep the old and new versions on file.

That is far cleaner than doing it while you are here and trying to add it at the end. The client can also see which changes increased the price and why.

Checklist before sending the scope

Before you hit send, check:

1. Does the scope cover everything promised during the survey and chats?
2. Is it clear where each task is carried out and to what extent?
3. Does it match the items, quantities and prices in your estimate?
4. Is it obvious which materials you supply and which the client buys?
5. Have you written down the key exclusions?
6. Have you noted assumptions that could affect price or programme?
7. Is it clear how extras and changes will be priced and approved?
8. Could a normal homeowner understand it without you explaining every line?
9. Does the document show the right date and version number?

If you hesitate on any point, tweak the wording before sending it.

Avoid writing every scope from scratch

If you often do similar work, build standard templates:

1. Bathroom refurb - strip-out, plumbing, electrics, prep, tiling, sanitary fit-off and decoration.
2. Flat redecoration - protection, basic making good, primer or mist coat, two coats and clean down.
3. Kitchen refit - remove existing kitchen, adapt services, plastering, fit new units and worktops, silicone and making good.
4. Whole-flat refurb - broken down by room and by trade.

For the next quote, adjust the template instead of starting from a blank page. Delete what you do not need, add job-specific details and update quantities.

After each job, take two minutes to review what caused confusion. If a client assumed new doors were included with painting, add a standard exclusion:

Price does not include removal or installation of doors and frames unless listed as separate items.

Templates save time, but they do not replace proper checking. Every house, flat and client is different.

Writing scopes in Bulido

With software like Bulido, you can build a library of standard tasks and reuse them when preparing quotes.

Instead of typing strip-out, prep walls, lay tiles and fit sanitaryware from scratch every time, you pick the relevant items, adapt the description, add quantities, units, prices, materials and notes.

You can structure the quote by room or section and then generate a clean PDF with the quote and scope together.

If the client changes their mind, you create a new version. Older versions stay in the system, so you can see what was agreed before and when extras were added.

A good scope of work does not have to be long. It needs to spell out what you are doing, where, what the price covers, which materials each side provides, what is excluded and how extras will be handled.

The fewer things are only said on site and never written down, the easier it is to run the job, get paid for changes and avoid rows about what was included.