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Bid terms glossary
Scope of work
The description of exactly what work a contractor will do and provide.
Also called or written as: SOW, scope
What it means
The scope of work is the description of what a contractor is responsible for: the work, materials, equipment and services included in their price. It usually draws on the drawings, specifications and the bid request.
A good scope says where the work starts and stops, not just what it is.
Why it matters when leveling bids
Most bid gaps happen at the edges of scope, where one trade's work ends and another's begins. If every bidder writes their own scope, the bids won't line up.
Write one scope checklist per trade and send it to every bidder. Ask them to mark each line Included, Excluded or Add $. That's what BidGaps checklists are for.
Example wording
Example only
- “Scope includes all work shown on drawings [sheet numbers] and specification sections [list].”
- “Scope begins 5 ft outside the building line.”
- “Furnish and install all toilet partitions and accessories per the specialties schedule.”
Made-up wording to show the pattern. Not taken from any real bid. Bracketed items are placeholders.
Level your bids with the free sheet → Get the scope letter template
Related terms: Exclusion · By others · Bid leveling · All terms
General guidance, not legal advice. How a term works on your project depends on your contract documents.