The quote said “bathroom refit.” On day two they want the hallway painted because the dust will mark it. You do it to be helpful. The week is gone. That is not them being difficult. That is a scope that named a room, not a job.
A scope that works
| Put on the quote | Example |
|---|---|
| In | Strip suite, new close-coupled pan, basin, mixer, vinyl to wet floor, silicone |
| Out | Tiling, extractor, moving the soil stack, decorating adjoining rooms |
| Not seen | Joists under the bath, condition of wastes in the floor |
| Extras | Priced before we continue |
Example block
Scope In: supply and fit suite as listed; make good plaster in the bathroom only; vinyl to existing floor; silicone. Out: tiling, decorating outside this room, electrical, moving soil pipe, furniture moving. Assumptions: existing wastes reused; floor sound; parking on street. If we open up and the floor is rotten, we stop and quote the extra before carrying on.
Short sentences. Room names are labels, not the work. If they send a Pinterest hallway mid-job, that is a new quote — same as a new customer.
What people miss
“Supply and fit bathroom” as one line. That is a heading. The fight is in the accessories, the floor, and the extractor.
No exclusions. They will assume skips, parking, and painting the landing are in. Spell the boring stuff out.
Scope in your head after a site visit. Six weeks later neither of you remembers the radiator. Write it the day you walk the job.
Doing the extra and invoicing later. They will say they never agreed. Price first. Then work.
Related guides
FAQ
- How long should a scope be?
- Long enough that a stranger could see what is not included. Half a page beats two adjectives.
- Do I need photos in the quote?
- They help. A photo of the lounge does not replace “woodwork: five doors, two coats gloss”.
- What if they keep adding on WhatsApp?
- Reply with a price for that extra, not a thumbs-up. The original quote stays the original quote.
- Can the scope live only in the chat?
- It can bind you, badly. Put it on the quote PDF so there is one list.
