# Scope letter template

*Template from BidGaps (https://bidgaps.com/scope-letter/). General guidance, not legal advice. Have your contract documents reviewed by a qualified professional.*

**Subject:** Request for itemized scope: [Project name], [Trade] bid

[Your name]  
[Your company or organization]  
[Date]  

To: [Bidder company name]  
Attn: [Estimator name]  

Hello [Estimator name],

Thank you for bidding the [trade] work for [project name] at [project address]. We're asking every bidder for the same information so we can compare proposals on the same scope. Please include the items below with your proposal, due [date and time].

Our bid documents are the drawings dated [date], the specifications dated [date], and addenda [numbers]. Please confirm the documents your price is based on.

## 1. Base bid and breakdown

- Your base bid as a single lump sum.
- A breakdown by major line item or area (for example, by floor, building area or system), so we can compare like for like.
- Whether sales tax, bonds, permits and fees, and prevailing wage (if applicable) are included or excluded, each stated separately.

## 2. Scope checklist

- Mark each line of the attached scope checklist as Included, Excluded, or Add $ (with the added price).
- If a line is left blank, we will treat it as not stated and ask you to confirm it before award.
- Tell us where your scope starts and stops at the edges (for example, at the building line, at a valve, at a panel or at a finished floor).

## 3. Inclusions

- A list of what your price includes, including any items you are carrying that are not on the checklist.

## 4. Exclusions

- A complete list of everything your price excludes, in one place.
- For each exclusion, tell us who you assume will provide it (owner, another trade, or not required).

## 5. Qualifications and assumptions

- Any conditions your price depends on, such as site access, working hours, phasing, schedule, existing conditions, or utility availability.
- How long your price is valid.

## 6. Allowances

- Carry the following allowances exactly as listed: [allowance item and amount], [allowance item and amount].
- List any other allowances you included, with the amount and what each one covers.

## 7. Alternates

- Price each alternate separately as an add or deduct to the base bid: [Alternate 1 description], [Alternate 2 description].
- Voluntary alternates or substitutions are welcome, but list them separately. Do not include them in the base bid.

## 8. Unit prices

- Provide unit prices for: [item and unit, e.g., rock excavation per cubic yard], [item and unit].
- State what each unit price includes (labor, material, equipment, disposal, overhead and profit).

## 9. Schedule

- Your expected duration on site, crew size, and any long-lead items with current lead times.
- Any other trades' work you need finished before you start.

## 10. Questions

- Send questions to [your name] at [your preferred contact method] by [date]. We will share answers with all bidders.

This letter is a request for information to help us compare bids. It is not a contract, a notice of award, or a commitment to award.

Thank you for your time on this. We appreciate a clear, complete proposal.

Thank you,  
[Your name]  
[Title]  
[Company or organization]  

Attachments: [Trade] scope checklist (you can print or copy one for your trade at https://bidgaps.com/trades/), drawings and specifications list, addenda.