Statement of Work

A formal document attached to or referenced in a contract that defines the specific deliverables, timelines, milestones, acceptance criteria, and scope of work for a particular project or engagement.

A statement of work protects both parties from scope creep and misaligned expectations. Without one, "what was agreed" becomes a matter of memory and interpretation, which is how client disputes and unpaid work originate.

A founder agrees to build a brand strategy for a client. She issues a statement of work specifying three deliverables (brand audit, positioning document, and visual identity guidelines), a four-week timeline, two rounds of revisions included, and a clear definition of what constitutes approval at each stage.