What is a Freelance Scope of Work? 4 Scope of Work Examples

Before you start working on a client project, there needs to be a scope of work in place. A scope of work is both a project outline and an agreement, so freelancers and clients alike benefit from a detailed scope of work. 

For new freelancers, there are usually a lot of questions about scopes of work and proposals. Do you really need a scope of work? What should a scope of work include? What are scopes supposed to look like? 

Below, let’s break down what exactly to include in a scope of work, why freelancers need one, and a few scope of work examples to help you get started. 

What is a Scope of Work?

A scope of work is an agreement that outlines what you’ll be delivering for a certain project. Sometimes called a proposal or statement of work (SOW for short), your scope of work should include details for the exact services and deliverables you're providing to ensure you and your client are on the same page about the project goals, timeline, budget, pricing, and needs. 

What to Include in Your Scope of Work

A scope of work is the first step in signing a new client. Depending on how you structure it, your scope of work can also serve as a proposal and a contract so you can secure new clients in one fell swoop. 

This means that to better communicate the value and deliverables, your scope of work should include as many details about the project and deliverables as possible. 

Here’s what your scope of work should include:

• Project goals: Your scope of work should include the project’s primary goal somewhere in the document. This goal is based on the information your client has provided as well as your expertise. 

• Time frame: If this project is set to take place over a certain period of time, your scope of work should include the agreed-upon dates (e.g., a 3-month contract or a monthly retainer).

• Project deliverables: This section should detail the services and/or products you’ll deliver to the client by the end of the project. 

• Cost breakdown: Include a breakdown of pricing for individual deliverables in addition to the total cost.

• Terms and conditions: Your scope or proposal should also include your standard contract agreement with freelance terms and conditions that set expectations and protect your business.

Why Freelancers Need a Scope of Work

Every project should begin with a scope of work. Not only does a scope of work outline everything that’s going to be completed, but it helps protect your time and money (more on that below). Here are a few reasons why freelancers must use a scope of work with clients. 

Prevents scope creep 

The biggest reason freelancers need a scope of work is because it prevents scope creep. Scope creep is when a client asks you to complete work that wasn’t included in the initial scope of work. This is usually done unknowingly, like asking you to “hop on a quick call” or requesting “a few more edits.” The problem with scope creep is that if these types of requests — and their pricing — weren’t outlined in your initial scope of work, you’ll end up doing additional work for free.

To prevent scope creep, your scope of work should include everything that goes into the project including things you are or aren’t willing to include like meetings or multiple rounds of edits and for what price. Nothing is too big or small to include to ensure everyone is on the same page. 

Outlines the project needs and goals

Your scope of work will end up being the document you refer to throughout the project. Think of your scope of work as the source of truth. As you get started with a project, you or your client may forget some of the details that are included in your scope. Instead of having to comb through old emails or messages to figure out what you both agreed to, you can refer back to the scope of work. 

It’s also normal for different needs and goals to arise throughout the course of a project. Scope creep, in this case, isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes scope creep can be turned into an opportunity to upsell your client. If you and your client want to add new deliverables or extend the contract, you can refer back to your detailed scope of work to get explicit approval for changes or increases.

Sets expectations and communicates your value 

When you have a clear and detailed scope outlined, your client can see *exactly* how much work goes into a project. Seeing everything from background research to meetings to handovers laid out can help a client understand what you’re providing. 

For example, let’s say you’re a freelance social media strategist and you’re working with a client to create a social media strategy. Your client may initially think that means you’ll produce a simple one-page document that tells them which channels to be on and what to post. But in reality, the work and expertise that goes into a social media strategy is much more extensive — conducting audits, building editorial calendars, and developing the brand’s voice, to name a few things — and your scope of work can help them realize that. 

By breaking down each phase of your project and including details around the tasks that go into them, your scope of work will reflect the value you bring to a project and help set realistic expectations between you and your client. 

4 Scope of Work Examples for Freelancers

To give you a better idea of not only what a scope of work should include but also what it should look like when you send it to a client, let’s go over a few scope of work examples. Not only are these examples helpful in understanding how to structure your proposals, but they also demonstrate how to break down your pricing and services.

1. Social Media Strategy Scope of Work Example 

Let’s start with the example we mentioned earlier, a social media strategy scope of work.

Our social media strategy scope of work template is a good example of how to structure a thorough one-off project like strategy or consulting. Strategy can be one of the trickiest projects to scope. How can you communicate the value and expertise you bring while helping clients understand what they’re paying for? 

A good way to do this is by structuring your project into multiple phases. You probably already complete your projects in phases, so what better way to demonstrate the work you’re doing by breaking your scope into phases, too?

As you’ll see in our scope of work example template below, each phase can include a summary of what will be completed during that phase and why. The phases also have detailed deliverables that will be done during that phase. 

Structuring your scope of work this way makes it easier to communicate how much value and expertise the client receives when working with you. Pricing is also an important aspect to include in your proposals. If you’re not sure what to charge, you can get access to pricing recommendations for this scope of work and hundreds more with Wethos Pro. 

2. Website Development Scope of Work Example 

Here’s another scope of work example for an extensive project, website development. Website design and development is a common type of freelance project, yet scoping it can still be tricky if you’re new to the game. 

Let’s take a look at how you can structure this type of project by using our top website development scope of work template. This template breaks down the project into four phases starting with auditing and analyzing, and ending with testing and launch. 

Another benefit of creating an in-depth scope of work like this is that it highlights how much work you’re actually doing — and whether or not you’re charging enough for it. In fact, when freelancers start using Wethos’ scope of work templates, many are surprised to learn that they’ve been significantly undercharging for their services. 

Having a structured scope of work also helps you create a consistent baseline in pricing and scoping, so you can adjust for different factors like complexity or time across projects and clients. With Wethos Pro you can templatize your services and standardize your pricing to get a better handle on what work is selling and for how much.

3. Monthly Retainer Scope of Work Example  

Let’s say you offer ongoing services like community management, virtual assistance, or email marketing, for example. For these types of projects, you’ll probably want to set up a retainer scope of work. A freelance retainer contract includes a set amount of hours or a predetermined number of deliverables that usually occur on a monthly basis. This means your scope of work may be structured differently since it needs to outline ongoing work. 

Our monthly retainer scope of work offers a great example of how to structure a scope for recurring deliverables. There are three phases of the scope of work template, starting with a one-off phase dedicated to discovery and kickoff and ending with another one-off phase for handoff once that point arrives. The middle phase repeats itself each month and is designed to cover all of the recurring tasks or deliverables that will be completed on a monthly basis. 

When you have a retainer or ongoing contract with the same deliverables each month, it’s important that everyone is on the same page about what’s going to be completed on a recurring basis. Without a clearly defined scope of work, a retainer contract can quickly turn into a scope creep situation. Be sure to include *exactly* what your retainer does and doesn’t include in order to prevent scope creep and set boundaries around your recurring tasks.

4. Event Production Scope of Work Example

Let’s take a look at a more extensive scope of work example. Event production is the type of freelance project that can span several months and require additional team members, making it potentially tricky to scope from scratch. 

If you’re working on a major project like this, use our event production scope of work template as a guide. This scope of work example  includes a breakdown of five project phases, starting with pre-event management and wrapping up production with post-event management. 

Saying that there’s a lot that goes into event production is an understatement. If you’re leading production from start to finish, you’re in charge of juggling everything from securing a venue to sourcing vendors to sponsor outreach to marketing the event to managing onsite initiatives — and likely assembling a team to help support. 

Outlining everything that goes into a large project like this with a thorough scope of work ensures that every aspect of the project is covered and nothing falls through the cracks. Breaking everything down into detailed phases also helps communicate to your clients how much work is involved and how much value you bring to the project. 

These are just a handful of scope of work examples to give you an idea of how to structure your next project. Just remember that a good scope of work sets you and your freelance projects up for success. 

Including key details in your scope of work like the project goals and timeline as well as deliverables and terms protects you from scope creep and ensures you and your client are aligned. Use these scope of work examples to guide you through the scoping and proposal process the next time you pitch a potential client. 

Looking for more scope of work examples? Check out our library of popular scope of work templates and sign up for your Wethos account to access over 180 customizable templates.