An SOW, the statement of work, is the part of a proposal or contract that says exactly what will be done, by when, for what, in enough detail that a change is visible as a change. For a freelancer or a small agency it is the difference between a pitch a client can argue with later and one they cannot. Knowing how to write a statement of work, and the scope of work inside it, is mostly knowing how to count: deliverables, hours, dates and acceptance. The freelance proposal template tool on this site prices the scope from your own hours and rate, free and without an account.
What is an SOW, in one paragraph
A statement of work names the deliverables, the activities that produce them, the schedule, the acceptance criteria, the price and the payment terms for one piece of work. It sits under a master agreement, if there is one, and above the invoice. When a client says that is not what we agreed, the SOW is what you read aloud.
How to write a statement of work that can be priced
List the deliverables as things that can be counted and dated. Under each, the activities and the hours. Then the acceptance criteria: what the client will check and within how many days. Then the price, built from the hours at your rate, and the payment schedule. A statement of work with a deliverable no one can count is a dispute scheduled for delivery day.
How to write a scope of work, and what to leave out
The scope of work is the boundary: what is in, and, just as usefully, what is out. Name the adjacent work you are not doing so the client cannot assume it. Anything the client must supply, with a date, belongs here too, because their delay is otherwise your delay.
MSA vs SOW
The master services agreement carries the standing terms: confidentiality, ownership, liability, how disputes are handled, how either side ends the relationship. The SOW carries this job: scope, schedule, price. One MSA, many SOWs. For a freelancer with one client and one project the two collapse into one contract, and that is fine as long as both sets of clauses are present.
Questions people ask about what is an sow
What is an SOW versus a proposal?
The proposal sells the work and offers options; the SOW defines the option chosen precisely enough to deliver and invoice against. Many freelancers make the accepted proposal the SOW by adding acceptance criteria and dates.
How long should a statement of work be?
As long as the count of deliverables requires and no longer. One page for a logo, several for a software build.
Does the tool on this site write the SOW?
It prices the scope from your hours and rate and prints the options and the schedule; the deliverable list and acceptance criteria are yours to write, and the page gives you the structure.