Scope of Work

The scope of work is provided in an estimate.  It refers to the extent of the work that will be done on your project, as well as a brief listing what materials will be used. 

Below is a scope of work for replacing a broken front sidewalk with a new stamped concrete sidewalk taken from one of our estimates.

Remove existing sidewalk, haul away. Form and grade sidewalk. Compact sand and bring to grade.  Reinforce with wire mesh reinforcement.  Concrete is to be 6 sack 4” limestone air-entrained exterior mix. Concrete will be stamped with a pattern, integral color, and release chosen by you.  Concrete will be cut with control joints and sealed twice with a quality solvent based acrylic sealer.

The scope of work is listed to make it clear what the contractor will do on your project per the estimate.  It is important to read and understand what will be done so that both the client and the contractor have the same expectations. Many times, what a customer expects and what a contractor expects to do are not the same thing.  It’s important to understand both what is and what is not included so that you are not surprised. 

From my experience, assumptions about the scope of work can create disappointment and frustration for both the homeowner and the contractor.  For example, there is nothing in the scope of work above that says “Bring in topsoil and grade area around the sidewalk. Spread grass seed and cover with straw.” Also not included in the scope of work are things like “Rearrange sprinkler system” or “Fix dog fence.” 

New construction homes are frequently purchased without a lawn or gutters, but many new homeowners assume those things are included with the house.  Inground pools sometimes come without the water that goes in them. The customer may need to pay for a water tanker or a high water bill if they run a hose to fill the pool (Your well pump will not be happy).  The same concept can apply to concrete installation. We bid the project to do the proper base work and pre-placement prep necessary to install the concrete.

As the contractor, I’m not trying to hide any tasks that are required to put in that sidewalk, but I’m not volunteering to do extra tasks either. I’ve gotten that call or email complaining that we didn’t finish the job because the yard isn’t graded or seeded. Assuming topsoil and grass seed can be purchased nearby and loaded quickly, it will still take a minimum of 2 hours to get this landscaping done.  After paying for labor for three guys for two hours and the cost of topsoil and the diesel fuel to get it there, I’m going to be out some money because of that assumption. I’m also going to be two hours late getting to another project.

There is no standard that I am aware of when it comes to performing "restoration services" after concrete installation. I'm not sure if other companies do it, but I have seen enough Bobcat tracks from other contractors going to the back yard weeks after a project was done to know that many do not. It is important to understand that it should be addressed in the scope of work. If I am asked about it, I usually subcontract the job with a landscaper to do it, or have the customer work directly with a landscaping company. Many times the customer chooses to do it themselves, as it is a fairly easy process that just takes some time to do.

Check out our "yard damage blog" as it goes well with this topic.