Hiring · 5 min read
How to create a renovation scope of work
Write a renovation scope of work so Canadian contractor quotes are comparable and change orders stay rare.
A scope of work is a plain-language description of what will be done. It does not need to be technical, and you do not need drawings to write one. What it must do is remove ambiguity.
Structure that works
- Describe the space: room, approximate dimensions, home age.
- State the goal in one sentence.
- List the work, room by room, in the order it happens.
- List what is explicitly excluded.
- Name products where you have decided, and set an allowance where you have not.
- State who supplies and who installs each item.
- Note access, working hours, and protection expectations.
- State how change orders must be approved.
Be specific about the boundaries
Most disputes happen at the edges of a project: the hallway paint next to the new kitchen, the transition strip at the doorway, the drywall on the other side of the wall you opened. Naming those boundaries in writing costs nothing and prevents the most common arguments.
Use it for every quote
Send the same document to every contractor. The estimate export from this site is built for exactly that: a printable summary with scope, budget range, permit items, and questions in one place.