General Contractor Scope of Work Template
A general scope has to do one extra job: say what it is not. When multiple trades are in play, the boundaries between them — and the work nobody has claimed — are where the money leaks.
Where general contracting scopes usually fail
- Work that falls between two subcontractors assigned to neither.
- Homeowner-supplied materials mixed in without a supply list.
- Allowances written without a stated amount, so overruns are invisible until billing.
The template
Copy this structure section by section. Anything you cannot state definitively belongs under exclusions or open items — not left out and hoped over.
Project Management
Work to be Performed
- Coordinate and schedule all trades
- Maintain site protection and daily cleanup across the project
Materials & Specifications
- Site protection materials and dust containment
Exclusions
- Work by trades contracted directly by the homeowner
Scope by Area — one heading per room or trade
Work to be Performed
- List the agreed work item by item, per area
- Flag anything discussed but not confirmed as an open item
Materials & Specifications
- Materials and specifications agreed for that area
Exclusions
- Anything explicitly out of scope for that area
Allowances and Open Items
Work to be Performed
- List every allowance with its stated amount and what it covers
Materials & Specifications
- Homeowner-supplied item list
Exclusions
- Overruns above a stated allowance, billed as a change order
Assumptions & Open Items
Every scope needs this section. List anything the homeowner raised that you did not confirm, and anything you inferred rather than agreed. It is the difference between a change order and an argument.
WalkProof writes this for you. Record the walkthrough, and you get a draft in exactly this structure — per area, with assumptions and unclear items flagged separately so you can check them before anything goes to the homeowner.