Contract Glossary
Scope of Work (SOW)
Definition
A scope of work spells out exactly what you're doing, what you're delivering, when it's due, and what 'done' looks like. It's your best defense against scope creep, that slow drift where a '10-page website' turns into '10 pages plus a blog, e-commerce store, and mobile app.'
In Practice
Bad SOW: 'Design and develop a website.' Good SOW: 'Design and develop a 10-page responsive website using Next.js, including homepage, about, services (3 pages), blog listing, blog post template, contact page with form, and privacy policy. Includes 2 rounds of design revisions, mobile-responsive design, and basic SEO setup. Does NOT include: copywriting, photography, ongoing maintenance, e-commerce functionality, or custom integrations.' Listing what's excluded is just as important as listing what's included.
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