What is Scope of work?
Definition of Scope of work in Construction
The scope of work, is a list of construction obligations, work activities, that a contractor, subcontractor, material supplier or equipment supplier is obligated to produce or install under a construction agreement.
This agreement can be a contract, purchase order or other type of written agreement. The scope of work is a very specific listing of obligations, and is usually preferred over the terminology , per plans and specs, by the parties on the receiving end.
This is a continuous controversy between owner, engineer, architect s who prefer the term, per plans and specs, and the contractors, subcontractors, suppliers on the other side who prefer the individualized scopes of work. To specifically identify the scope of work ,protects the party from the generalization of the statement, per plans and specs.
However, on the other side, the listing of the specific scope of work items, limits the responsibility of the contractor and the subcontractor, which is something that the owner, architect and engineers do not like. This dilemma has always been a particular contentious issue within the construction industry and will continue to be argued back and forth.