Free template and example
Statement of work template for freelancers
A statement of work (SOW) sets out what you will deliver, what isn’t included and how changes are agreed, so you and the client share the same picture before the work starts.
The sections of a statement of work
- Objective
- What the project is for, in a sentence or two.
- Scope
- The work you will do.
- Deliverables
- What the client receives at the end.
- Exclusions
- What isn’t included, so nothing comes as a surprise.
- Milestones
- The stages and their dates.
- Assumptions
- What the plan depends on.
- Client responsibilities
- What the client provides, such as content, feedback or access.
- Change control
- How changes to the scope or price are agreed.
A worked example
Statement of work SOW-2026-0001 for Northwind Studio
- Objective
- Linh Tran Design will deliver Website redesign for Northwind Studio.
- Deliverables
- Website redesign; Up to 2 rounds of revisions; Handover of the final files
- Price reference
- Q-2026-0001, USD 5,400.00
What PaperworkPilot fills in for you
- Starts from a template with every section, and from your project and its quote.
- Deliverables can start from the quote’s lines.
- Names the quote as the price reference, so the SOW and the quote agree.
- You review and edit every section; a finalized SOW gets its own number, such as SOW-2026-0001, and a PDF.
Questions and answers
- What’s the difference between a quote and a statement of work?
- A quote says what the work costs. A statement of work says what the work is: the scope, deliverables, exclusions and how changes are handled. Many projects use both.
- Do I need a statement of work for a small project?
- Not always, but even a short one with the scope, deliverables and exclusions helps avoid disagreement about what was included.
- Has the template been checked by a lawyer?
- No. It is a starting point, not legal advice. Review the wording, and ask a lawyer to check anything important.
- Is it free to make a statement of work?
- Every new workspace starts on the Free plan: 5 credits a month, free. Each finalized SOW uses 1 credit; drafts, edits and previews are free.
Start free
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