FREE SCOPE OF WORK TEMPLATE A scope of work. Everyone agrees what’s included.
An editable project scope of work covering objectives, activities, deliverables, exclusions and acceptance, with a filled-in example. No email required.
Needs review summary; Four half-day workshops with workbooks.
02
Out of scope
Sessions for more than 12 people; Accredited certification.
03
Client responsibilities
A named contact who can confirm dates and attendees.
04
Milestones
Needs review → Design → Delivery → Follow-up and report.
What is a scope of work?
A scope of work defines exactly what a project will deliver and what it won’t. It’s the section of a project agreement people return to when something is disputed, so it needs to be specific: activities, deliverables, exclusions, assumptions, milestones and how work is accepted.
Be specific: “five-page website with a CMS blog” beats “website”.
Exclude out loud: list what isn’t included, especially what clients commonly assume is.
Write the assumptions: the client inputs and dates your plan depends on.
Define acceptance: who approves, how quickly, and what counts as approval.
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
Needs review: [activities]
Design: [activities]
Delivery: [activities]
Follow-up and report: [activities]
3. Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Description / format
Due
1
[Needs review summary]
[Detail]
[Date]
2
[Four half-day workshops with workbooks]
[Detail]
[Date]
3
[Twelve one-to-one coaching sessions]
[Detail]
[Date]
4
[End-of-programme report with attendance and feedback]
[Detail]
[Date]
4. Out of scope
[Sessions for more than 12 people]
[Accredited certification]
[Workshops rescheduled with under five working days’ notice]
5. Assumptions and client responsibilities
[A named contact who can confirm dates and attendees]
[Attendee names two weeks before each session]
[A suitable room, or approval to hire one]
If these are late, dependent dates move by the same amount of time.
6. Milestones
Milestone
Target date
Depends on
Needs review
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Design
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Delivery
[Date]
[Approval or input]
Follow-up and report
[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: Tessellate Training scope of work for Brightwater Housing
Key sections for a new manager training programme. Both companies are fictional.
Deliverables
#
Deliverable
Phase
1
Needs review summary
Needs review
2
Four half-day workshops with workbooks
Design
3
Twelve one-to-one coaching sessions
Delivery
4
End-of-programme report with attendance and feedback
Follow-up and report
Out of scope
Sessions for more than 12 people
Accredited certification
Workshops rescheduled with under five working days’ notice
Client responsibilities
A named contact who can confirm dates and attendees
Attendee names two weeks before each session
A suitable room, or approval to hire one
Fees
Total: $9,230.00 excluding tax
Schedule: Invoiced at the end of each phase: Needs review, Design, Delivery, Follow-up and report
Rescheduling
A session moved with at least five working days’ notice is rescheduled at no charge. With less notice, the session fee is payable in full.
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 short one helps. Listing the deliverables, what is excluded, the dates and who approves the work takes a page and gives both sides something to point to when a new request arrives.
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.