Scope of work (SOW) template

# Scope of Work (SOW)

Project: [Project name]
Client: [Client name]
Freelancer: [Your name or company]
Effective date: [Date]
Expires: [Date + 30 days]

## 1. Project summary

[2 to 3 sentence summary of the engagement.]

Example:

This SOW covers the redesign of [Client]'s pricing page and supporting upgrade flow. The goal is to lift pricing page conversion above 2.5 percent before the Q3 launch.

## 2. Goals and success metrics

- [Goal 1]
- [Goal 2]
- [Goal 3]

Example:

- lift pricing page conversion from 1.4 percent to 2.5 percent or higher
- reduce time-to-decision via clearer comparison
- align voice with brand voice

## 3. Deliverables

- [Deliverable 1]
- [Deliverable 2]
- [Deliverable 3]

Example:

- new pricing page copy (hero, tiers, FAQ)
- supporting upgrade flow copy
- handoff doc with rationale and next steps

## 4. Out of scope

- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]
- [Item 3]

Example:

- design and visual production (handled by client design team)
- A/B testing setup and analysis
- ongoing post-launch optimization

## 5. Timeline

| Phase | Description | Duration | Date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Discovery | Customer language and audit | Week 1 | [Date] |
| First draft | Writing core deliverables | Week 2 | [Date] |
| Revisions | 2 rounds | Week 3 | [Date] |
| Final delivery | Handoff and review | Week 4 | [Date] |

## 6. Investment

Total project fee: [amount]

Payment terms:

- 50 percent deposit on signed SOW: [amount]
- 50 percent due on final delivery: [amount]
- Late fee: 5 percent per month after 14 days past due

Accepted payment methods: [methods]

## 7. Revisions

Revisions are limited to 2 rounds per deliverable.

Each round:

- consolidated feedback from one approver
- 5 business day review window
- delivered as draft document or comments

Additional revisions are billed at [hourly rate] in 4-hour minimums.

## 8. Assumptions

- [Assumption 1]
- [Assumption 2]
- [Assumption 3]

Example:

- client provides brand guidelines and audience research by week 1
- one stakeholder reviews each round
- responses to drafts within 5 business days
- approval to use client logo in portfolio

## 9. Communication and review

- weekly status update every Friday
- one weekly review call (optional)
- response time: within 24 business hours
- preferred channel: [Slack, email, etc.]

## 10. Ownership

- Final deliverables transfer to Client upon receipt of final payment.
- Freelancer retains the right to display the work in portfolio and case studies.
- Source files (Figma, Notion, Google Docs) are provided after final payment.

## 11. Termination

Either party may terminate this engagement with 14 days written notice.

If the Client cancels mid-project, a kill fee of 30 percent of the remaining project fee will apply.

## 12. Confidentiality

Both parties agree to keep proprietary business information confidential and not disclose it to third parties for the duration of the engagement and 12 months after.

## 13. Signatures

Client:
Name: [Client name]
Signature: _______________________
Date: [Date]

Freelancer:
Name: [Your name]
Signature: _______________________
Date: [Date]

---

## Notes on use

- Use this SOW alongside your standard contract — not as a replacement.
- Have a lawyer review your base SOW once. Reuse for similar engagements.
- For larger projects (over $20k), negotiate stronger termination and IP clauses.
- Keep your SOW short — 1 to 3 pages is the sweet spot.

## Common SOW mistakes

- vague deliverable descriptions
- missing exclusions
- skipping the timeline
- unclear payment terms
- no kill fee
- skipping signatures

Most of the failure modes above only bite because nobody wrote the answer down. If you already know the deliverable, write it. If a payment term is unusual, state it. Five minutes of wording now saves hours of "but you said" later.

Replace anything in [brackets] before sending. This template is provided as-is, free to use.