Handbook / Contracts and proposals

How to write a statement of work for a freelance project

Most freelance disputes start with a sentence like "I thought that was included." A statement of work prevents that sentence. It is a project-level document that says exactly what you will deliver, by when, to what standard and for how much, and what the client must do for the project to succeed. This guide walks through writing one, section by section, with an example you can adapt.

Where it fits

A common structure is:

• a master agreement with general terms: payment, ownership, confidentiality, termination, liability
• a statement of work for each project, referring back to the master agreement

For a single small job, both can live in one short document. For ongoing clients, the master agreement is signed once and each new project gets its own statement of work.

Section 1: objective

One or two sentences about what the project is for, in the client's terms:

Example: Create a five-page website for Harbor Yoga that lets new students see class times and book a first class online.

The objective helps both sides judge later decisions: does this request serve the goal?

Section 2: deliverables

List each deliverable with specifics:

• what it is
• quantity
• format
• where it will be delivered

Example deliverables: five web pages: home, classes, teachers, pricing, contact; integration of the client's existing booking widget on the classes page; basic on-page search settings for each page; one 30-minute handover call with written notes.

Section 3: exclusions

Write what is not included. This is often the most valuable section:

Example exclusions: copywriting beyond editing supplied text; photography; logo design; hosting and domain fees; ongoing maintenance after handover; content in other languages; integrations other than the booking widget.

Exclusions turn later requests into clear decisions: in scope, or a change.

Section 4: acceptance criteria

Define how each deliverable will be judged complete:

Example: Pages display correctly on current versions of major desktop and mobile browsers; booking widget loads and accepts a test booking; client confirms content accuracy in writing.

Add a review period: for example, the client reviews each deliverable within five business days, after which it is treated as accepted unless issues are raised.

Section 5: revisions

State how many rounds of revisions are included and what counts as a revision versus a change. A revision adjusts the agreed deliverable; a change alters what the deliverable is.

Section 6: timeline and dependencies

List milestones and dates, and what the client must provide for each:

Example: Client supplies text and photos by March 3. Draft pages delivered March 14. Client feedback by March 19. Final pages delivered March 26. Dates move by the number of days client material or feedback is late.

That last sentence protects you from timelines slipping because inputs arrive late.

Section 7: client responsibilities

Projects depend on clients: content, access, decisions, approvals. List them. For example: provide login access to the booking system, nominate one person to give consolidated feedback, and supply text and images in agreed formats.

Section 8: price and payment

State the price, what it covers, and the payment schedule, referring to the master agreement for general terms:

Example: Fixed price $3,100: 40% deposit before work begins, 30% on draft delivery, 30% on final delivery. Invoices due within 14 days.

The guide on project pricing covers setting the figure.

Section 9: changes

Describe the change process: requests in writing, a written quote for price and timeline effects, and work beginning only after approval.

Section 10: approval

Both sides confirm the statement of work, with names, signatures or a written email confirmation, and the date.

The independence test

A statement of work should describe results, not supervise your methods. The IRS general rule is that an independent contractor's client controls only the result of the work, not what will be done and how. Writing deliverables and acceptance criteria, rather than hours and instructions, fits that principle.

Keep it practical

A good statement of work for a small project fits on one or two pages. Write it in plain language, send it before starting, and ask the client to correct anything they understand differently. Disagreements found at that stage cost nothing to fix.

Objective, deliverables, exclusions, acceptance, timeline, responsibilities, price and changes: a statement of work answers "was that included?" before anyone has to ask.