Statement of work template

A statement of work is the contract's appendix that says exactly what will be built, by when, and how the client will know it's done. Here is a one-page version that works for design, development, video and consulting projects.

When you need an SOW

A short contract covers payment, ownership and cancellation. It does not describe the work in enough detail to settle an argument about whether the third page was in scope. That's the SOW's job. Use one whenever a project has more than two or three deliverables, more than one milestone, or a client with several people who need to agree on what "done" means.

The template

1. Objective[Client] engages [Provider] to [one sentence: the business outcome, e.g. "launch a five-page marketing site that converts visitors into demo requests"].

2. Deliverables[One per line, each with a measurable definition: "Home page design, desktop and mobile, delivered as a Figma file"; "Brand video, 60–90 seconds, 16:9 and 9:16 exports"].

3. Milestones and datesMilestone 1: [discovery and outline] by [date]. Milestone 2: [first draft] by [date]. Milestone 3: [final delivery] by [date]. Dates assume Client materials and feedback arrive within 5 business days of each request.

4. AcceptanceEach deliverable is accepted when Client confirms in writing, or 5 business days after delivery if no written feedback is received.

5. Assumptions and exclusionsClient supplies [copy, photography, logins]. Not included: [hosting, printing, stock licences, ongoing maintenance]. Anything not listed in section 2 is out of scope.

6. Change controlRequests outside section 2 are documented in a change order with a price and any schedule change, and start only after Client approves it.

7. FeesTotal [amount], invoiced [50% on signing, 50% on final delivery]. Payment terms per the agreement.

Paperwork writes the SOW from the same form as the proposal.Paperwork fills the proposal, contract, invoice, SOW, NDA and change order from one form, and your client signs from a link. $19 once. Try the free demo first.

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Acceptance criteria are the whole document

Most SOW disputes are not about scope; they are about whether something is finished. The five-day silent-acceptance rule in clause 4 is what stops a project sitting "in review" for six weeks while the final invoice waits. Put it in, and mention it on the kick-off call so it never surprises anyone.

Deliverables versus tasks

"Design the home page" is a task. "Home page design, desktop and mobile, delivered as a Figma file" is a deliverable: it has a format and a finish line. Write every line in section 2 that way and the invoice explains itself.

Keep the SOW and the contract in sync

If the SOW and the contract disagree on a date or a fee, you have a problem you didn't need. Paperwork generates both from one form, so the milestones, deliverables and amounts are identical on the proposal, the contract, the SOW and the invoice, and a change order updates all of them.