Construction scope of work: Definition and how to manage it

Managing the scope of work for several construction jobs at the same time can be … a lot.

There are office tasks, keeping track of the warehouse, managing subs and clients, sending purchase orders, paying bills and other countless day-to-day items to check off your project to-do list.

In an instant, circumstances can change without warning, which can lead to extended deadlines and extra cost. Lack of communication and failure to keep track of the inevitable changes could lead to dead days on the schedule, understaffing on an important day or lack of appropriate invoicing on the updated scope of work.

So how do you handle it all?

With our construction management platform! As your partner on the road to success, we work hard to give you everything you need to get your projects done on time and on budget. Here’s your full guide on what a construction scope of work is – and how best to manage it.

What is a scope of work in construction?

A scope of work in construction is a document that outlines the ins and outs of a construction project. It typically includes the tasks, responsibilities, timelines and deliverables required to complete the job.

It’s a formal agreement between you and your client to ensure everything is completed successfully, within budget and on time. The document should be comprehensive, precise and easy to understand.

Why is a construction scope of work important?

Managing the scope of work is essential to the success of a construction project. Without effective management, a project can quickly spiral out of control, resulting in budget and timeline overruns, low-quality work and project failure.

By developing and managing the scope of work, the client, contractor and crew can keep track of the job and ensure everyone is working toward the same goal.

Having a detailed scope of work for every project helps:

• Establish clear expectations between all parties
• Define roles and responsibilities so everyone understands their part
• Provide a reference point if miscommunication occurs
• Keep track of the budget to prevent accidental overspending

What to include in a construction scope of work

At a minimum, your scope of work document should include the following items:

• Project overview
• Deliverables
• Budget
• Timeline
• Quality standards
• Roles and responsibilities
• Change management process
• Legal and regulatory requirements
• Communication plan

Having each of these clearly outlined in your scope means less chance of miscommunication and project failure.

How to write a scope of work for construction

The first step to managing your scope of work is to write it up with those who’ll be involved in the project. During this stage, everyone should sit down and agree on the tasks to be completed, the required deliverables, timelines, budgets and who’s responsible for each task. Refer to the list of items above to see what should be included.

After defining the scope of work, the next step is to monitor and manage it consistently. This will involve identifying deviations from the scope, assessing their impact and recommending resolutions.

It’s important to keep communication open between all parties involved, so everyone is informed about any changes or issues that arise.

Manage your scope of work with construction tech

Buildertrend’s construction management platform includes features that help home builders and remodelers manage their project scopes with ease.  

Tools like the Schedule, Daily Logs and Budget help keep everyone in the loop while allowing you to be nimble and efficient when there’s a shift in project timeline or cost.

Notify your team automatically when there’s a timeline shift

Starting each of your jobs by building a schedule is the easiest way to understand the full extent of each project. The schedule will act as a starting point and source of truth for the timeline of each job. Buildertrend’s Schedule feature also makes it easy for you to share upcoming tasks and any schedule changes with your team, subcontractors and clients.

We call the Schedule feature the backbone of our platform because it’s the foundation upon which you build your jobs. Building your schedule is the first step to ensuring your projects are managed with efficiency. By keeping everyone involved updated with project progression on a day-to-day basis, you eliminate uncertainty and promote a seamless workflow.

Hit a bump in the road and need to make a quick shift?

No problem!

Schedule items in Buildertrend can be linked together, so an update to the timeline can be made in less than a minute with just a couple clicks. Plus, anyone involved can quickly be notified if needed. Endless phone calls are a thing of the past.

Making sure your schedule is on point will set you up to successfully manage your scope of work for each job.

Check in on each of your projects without visiting the job site

Daily Logs are essentially daily progress reports that allow your team to view what’s been completed on every project at the end of each day and what tasks should take priority the next day.

With access to Daily Logs, subs and clients can keep track of how things are progressing without having to call you for updates. Exciting, right?

Not able to make it to all your job sites each day to check in?

We’ve got you covered!

With Daily Logs, you’ll never have to wonder if work is getting done. You can quickly check in on the progress of each job from your computer or the mobile app to make sure projects are still on track.

Additionally, when entering a daily log, you and your team have the ability to add documents, photos and videos, so you can verify important project details or work that was completed that day. Not only that, but your team can also make notes when materials don’t arrive or there’s an issue that requires input from the homeowner.

Never miss a beat and keep projects running smoothly with this popular Buildertrend feature.

Stay updated on the true costs of your jobs and always know your bottom line

The Budget feature is essential for keeping your projects and jobs on track financially.

Whether you’re in the office or out in the field, the budget provides an at-a-glance view of where you stand for each job. Quickly view numbers from estimates, new expected costs, bills and purchase orders, time clock labor, total costs and more.

Budgets can be set up from scratch, with a preexisting template or by importing information from Excel.

Once you have all your budget information entered, you can use the built-in construction reporting options to quickly review the financial health of your job. This will allow you to make quick pivots or adjustments as needed to ensure your jobs stay on track and on budget.

The financial health of your business should never be left to chance.

Let us help you manage your scope of work like a pro

By signing up for Buildertrend, you’ll be investing in the continued success of your construction business. Let us help you get the most from your investment by scheduling a demo today.