Scope of Work
Also known as: scope · inclusions and exclusions
A scope of work defines exactly what a subcontractor is and is not responsible for on a project. In a bid proposal it is usually expressed as inclusions, exclusions, and qualifications — and it determines whether extra work becomes a change order or an unpaid dispute.
On a flooring package the scope statement carries more financial weight than the unit prices. Two contractors can submit the same number and end the job hundreds of thousands of dollars apart, purely on what each of them qualified.
Inclusions, exclusions, and qualifications
- Inclusions — what your price covers. Products, areas, and associated work such as base, transitions, and attic stock.
- Exclusions — what it does not. Moisture mitigation, demolition, hazardous material abatement, substrate levelling beyond a stated tolerance, after-hours work.
- Qualifications — the assumptions your price depends on. Slab flatness tolerance, moisture threshold and test method, working hours, number of mobilizations, material lead times, access.
Specific beats broad
"Unforeseen conditions excluded" protects you far less than "moisture mitigation above 85% RH per ASTM F2170 excluded; testing by others." The second is a defined boundary; the first is an argument waiting to happen, and estimators discount it accordingly when levelling the bid tab.
Related terms
- Change OrderA change order is a written amendment to an existing contract that adds, removes, or modifies work, and adjusts the contract price and schedule accordingly. It applies after a contract is in place — unlike an addendum, which changes the documents before bids are due.
- Bid TabA bid tab is the spreadsheet a general contractor's estimator uses to compare every subcontractor bid received for one trade package, line by line, so the numbers can be levelled against each other and the lowest responsible bid identified.
- AddendumAn addendum is a formal change to the bid documents issued by the architect or general contractor before bids are due. It can revise drawings, specifications, quantities, the scope, or the bid date, and it becomes part of the contract documents.