Contractor statement of work. Scope you can point to.
An editable contractor statement of work covering services, hours, timesheets, deliverables, exclusions and acceptance, with a filled-in example. No email required.
Services as described in the statement of work; Timesheets for each billing period.
02
Out of scope
Equipment purchases unless agreed; Work outside the agreed hours without approval.
03
Client responsibilities
Site access and inductions.
04
Milestones
Onboarding → Delivery → Handover.
What goes in a contractor statement of work
A statement of work turns an agreed proposal into something both sides can check delivery against. For independent contractors, the sections that prevent most disputes are the deliverables, the exclusions and what the client must provide.
Section
What to write
Objectives
Why the project exists and what success looks like
Scope and deliverables
Specific outputs, such as services as described in the statement of work
Out of scope
What isn’t included, such as equipment purchases unless agreed
Assumptions and client responsibilities
Site access and inductions; A named contact to approve timesheets
Milestones
Onboarding, Delivery, Handover
Acceptance and changes
How deliverables are approved and how changes are priced
Governing agreement: [Master service agreement dated … / terms attached]
1. Background and objectives
[Why the project exists and what success looks like.]
2. Scope of work
Onboarding: [activities]
Delivery: [activities]
Handover: [activities]
3. Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Description / format
Due
1
[Services as described in the statement of work]
[Detail]
[Date]
2
[Timesheets for each billing period]
[Detail]
[Date]
4. Out of scope
[Equipment purchases unless agreed]
[Work outside the agreed hours without approval]
5. Assumptions and client responsibilities
[Site access and inductions]
[A named contact to approve timesheets]
If these are late, dependent dates move by the same amount of time.
6. Milestones
Milestone
Target date
Depends on
Onboarding
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Delivery
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Handover
[Date]
[Approval or input]
7. Acceptance
The client’s named approver reviews each deliverable within [5] working days. Deliverables are accepted on written approval, or when the review period passes without material issues being raised.
8. Changes
Changes to scope, deliverables or timeline are agreed in writing, with the effect on fees and dates, before work begins.
9. Fees and payment
Fee: [Amount and basis]
Schedule: [Payment by milestone]
Expenses: [At cost with approval / included]
10. Sign-off
Client: [Name, title, signature, date]
Provider: [Name, title, signature, date]
How to fill it in
Reference the agreement the SOW sits under, so legal terms aren’t repeated.
State the objectives in a sentence or two.
List deliverables specifically enough that two people would agree whether they were delivered.
Write the exclusions and the client’s responsibilities, and link dates to them.
Set milestones, the acceptance process and how changes are handled.
Add fees by milestone and get it signed before work starts.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Ridgeway Technical Services statement of work for Elmstead Systems
Key sections for a network upgrade support. Both companies are fictional.
Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Phase
1
Services as described in the statement of work
Onboarding
2
Timesheets for each billing period
Delivery
Out of scope
Equipment purchases unless agreed
Work outside the agreed hours without approval
Client responsibilities
Site access and inductions
A named contact to approve timesheets
Fees
Total: $7,236.00 excluding tax
Schedule: Invoiced at the end of each phase: Onboarding, Delivery, Handover
Timesheet approval
The contractor submits timesheets weekly. The client approves or queries them within five working days; unqueried timesheets are treated as approved.
Send it for signature in Angelwood
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
A document that defines the services an independent contractor will provide under a contract: the work, deliverables, location and hours, rates, timesheet approval and the term.
What’s the difference between a scope of work and a statement of work?+
People use them interchangeably. Strictly, a scope of work describes the work and deliverables, while a statement of work is the wider project document that also covers timeline, fees, acceptance and sign-off.
Who writes the scope of work?+
Usually the provider drafts it, because they know what the work involves, and the client reviews and signs it. Writing it together after discovery produces the fewest surprises.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.