Residential Scope of Work — 18 Trade Divisions Template

The scope document that already has every division on it.

Open it and all 18 trade divisions are there — general requirements, sitework, foundation, framing and the rest. Fill in what's yours, delete what isn't, and hand the client a scope nobody can argue about six weeks later.

Built for a five-person crew and not an estimating department.

Who it's for

You build or remodel homes and your scope of work currently lives in an email.

Not for you if you're bidding commercial work that requires CSI MasterFormat numbering. The Commercial Scope of Work covers that.

What it does the second you type

• Flags every unfinished line — an allowance with no dollar amount reads NEEDS $. A selection past its due date reads OVERDUE. A line nobody has classified reads Not Set. Color-coded, automatic.
• Rolls up your allowances — every allowance you enter totals itself by division on the Allowance Schedule. Type in the actual quote and it shows you Over or Under, division by division.
• Counts down your selections — set a due date and it watches it, turning Due Soon at 14 days and OVERDUE the moment it passes.
• Summarizes the whole job — line counts, what is still TBD, allowance carried vs. actual, overdue selections, and the flags left to clear. All live, none of it typed.
• Comes with your exclusions already written — 30 standard residential construction exclusions, clarifications and assumptions. Switch off what does not apply.

You fill the white and cream cells. It handles the flagging, the counting, and the math.

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What's inside

• The Scope of Work (Excel) — 18 trade divisions in build order, 115 pre-loaded scope items, plus blank rows in every division for whatever is specific to your job. Specification, manufacturer, quantity, included/excluded, supplied by, allowance, selection due date and status on every line.
• The Allowance Schedule — pulls every allowance you entered and totals it by division automatically. Enter the real quote as it lands and it tells you over, under or on budget, with a project total at the bottom.
• Selections & Submittals log — your long-lead watch list: windows, cabinets, countertops, appliances, decorative lighting, roofing, HVAC equipment and the exterior palette, pre-loaded with lead times.
• Exclusions & Clarifications — 30 pre-written exclusions and clarifications across general, design and permitting, site and subsurface, existing conditions, scope boundaries, allowances, warranty and closeout, and finishes.
• Project Setup with a Basis of Scope block — the drawings, addenda and selections this scope was written against, named and dated, plus an acceptance and signature section.
• A live Scope Summary — the whole job on one screen, updating itself.
• Step-by-step User Guide (PDF) — a plain-English walkthrough of every column, every flag, the automation, best practices and troubleshooting.
• Filled sample (DEMO) — a 4,180 sf custom home, fully specified, with 18 allowance lines and quotes landing over, under and on budget so you can see how it behaves on a live job.
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Why it's different

• It starts full, not empty. 115 scope items across 18 divisions. The question stops being "what did I forget?"
• Organized the way a builder thinks. By trade, in build order — so working down the sheet feels like walking the job.
• The exclusions are already written. Thirty exclusions and clarifications, from actual construction practice — the tab most contractors skip is the tab that protects them.
• Allowances close themselves out. Carried versus actual, by division, without a second spreadsheet.
• No subscription. A one-time Excel workbook — not another monthly platform.
• Built by a construction CFO who writes scopes, carries allowances and argues about exclusions for a living.

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How it works

1. Buy and download instantly (Excel .xlsx + a User Guide PDF + a filled sample).
2. Open in Excel for Mac or Windows (also works in Google Sheets — import the Excel file).
3. Fill in Project Setup, then work down the Included? column — one decision per line.
4. Write the specifications, set your allowances and due dates. The flags, the roll-ups and the summary fill themselves. Print the scope and the exclusions to PDF and attach both to your proposal.

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Details

Format: Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) + PDF guide and a filled DEMO. Excel 2019 or newer recommended; also opens in Google Sheets; check the dropdowns and colors there before you rely on them.

License: Single-business commercial use. Use it on every job your business runs; modify freely for your own use. Don't redistribute, resell, or share with another business.

Delivery: Instant digital download. Nothing physical ships. All sales final on digital products.

Please note: The exclusions, clarifications and acceptance language are sample text drawn from common construction practice. They are not legal advice and they are not a contract. Construction law and required contract language vary by state — have a licensed attorney review and adapt anything you attach to an agreement.

Questions before you buy? Email hello@getbackofficeblueprint.com — we respond personally.