7 Great Ideas on How to Write a Job Statement

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Many industries rely on statements of work as business proposals to establish project expectations between two parties. Different industries base their statements of work on the most appropriate measurable for their situation. The three most common are:

Design/detail
Time/effort and materials/unit cost
Performance based
Design/detail work statements clearly define the requirements that one party must follow in completing work for another. You will often find them in construction, manufacturing, or government contracts.

Time/effort and materials/unit cost statements are broader in scope and define the service a party will perform based on the hours or materials needed to complete a project.

The flexibility of this structure makes it ideal for hourly or temporary workers.

A performance-based statement of work focuses on the outcome rather than the means to get there. It defines the buyer's expectations and any resources provided, but does not determine how the service provider will achieve the agreed-upon results.

This type is the standard for most government contracts.


Writing a statement of work can be challenging, especially if you are new to a field or are finalizing the details of a project for the first time.

If you’re preparing your first SOW, here are some great ideas for organizing it into relevant sections that get the job done without becoming too long or complex.

1. Purpose of the work
The scope of work describes the work you will perform for a buyer.

The scope of the job section tends to be more general, leaving the finer details for later in the document. Yours should cover the work you will perform, measured by service, product, or time.

A good scope of work is concise and to the point. You can keep it short by using a bulleted list of tasks you will complete. Keep it general and save the finer details for your "Tasks" section, described below.

For example, if you were writing a statement of work for a fresh list construction project, your scope of work should include the following:

The desired outcome of your project
The materials you will need and who will provide them
Time will bring you to complete the project
The steps will help you complete the project
This information can also be recalled when drawing up a professional construction invoice once the work is completed, so it is useful not only for the client, but also for your record keeping.

2. Objectives
Your goals section describes the reasoning behind and purpose of the project you are completing.

Avoid going into detail in this section. Instead, summarize the value of the project by asking yourself the following questions: