Mistake
No acceptance criteria
Without defined acceptance criteria, the client can reject deliverables indefinitely. Define what "done" means before you start.
Free. No signup. Fixed scope, fixed price, defined milestones — no ambiguity about what gets delivered, when, and for how much.
Free. No registration. No card. No catch.
What a statement of work is for
A statement of work (SOW) is a project-specific document that defines what will be delivered, by when, for what price, and under what conditions. It can stand alone or be attached to a master service agreement as the operative document for a specific engagement.
Agencies and vendors issuing project proposals to clients. Companies commissioning specific deliverables. Anyone who needs a single project governed precisely without renegotiating master terms each time.
For every discrete project. The SOW converts the conversation about what's possible into a binding commitment about what will be delivered. Use it standalone or attached to an MSA.
Not ideal for open-ended ongoing engagements without defined deliverables — use a retainer agreement. Not a substitute for an MSA when you expect to execute multiple SOWs with the same client.
What BizDraft asks you
Provider and client. Reference to any master agreement if applicable.
Overview of the project, its objectives, and the context.
Each named output — format, spec, acceptance criteria.
Project phases, delivery dates, and what triggers the next phase.
Fixed project price or milestone-based payment schedule.
What the client must provide — feedback, access, assets, approvals.
How scope changes are requested, priced, and approved in writing.
What the AI generates
Plain-English, project-specific, ready to execute. All sections needed to define a project unambiguously.
Named deliverables with format, quantity, acceptance criteria, and what constitutes client approval of each item.
Phase-by-phase schedule with milestone dates, dependencies, and timeline extension rights if client delays occur.
Fixed total price broken into milestone payments, deposit terms, and final payment tied to final acceptance.
Timeline for client feedback, what happens when feedback is late, assets and access the client must provide, and approval process.
Formal process for scope changes — written request, pricing, mutual written approval before work starts. No verbal changes honored.
How deliverables are reviewed, how feedback is submitted, deemed-accepted language if the client doesn't respond within a defined window.
Common mistakes
The most common reasons projects go over scope, over time, and under-paid.
Mistake
Without defined acceptance criteria, the client can reject deliverables indefinitely. Define what "done" means before you start.
Mistake
If the client delays providing content, feedback, or access, the timeline should automatically extend. Without this clause, you still own the deadline.
Mistake
Oral agreement to do extra work without a signed change order means you will likely do it for free. All scope changes must be in writing.
Mistake
Tying final payment to "client satisfaction" rather than defined acceptance criteria gives clients leverage to withhold payment indefinitely.
Example
"Web agency building a Shopify store. 12-week project, $22,000 fixed. Three phases: discovery, design, development. 50% upfront, 25% at design approval, 25% at launch. Client provides all product content within 2 weeks of kickoff. Washington state law."
A 10-section SOW, Washington-governed. Three milestone phases with dates. Named deliverables for each phase with acceptance criteria. $22,000 payment schedule. Client content deadline with automatic timeline extension for delay. Change-order process with written approval requirement.
Word (.docx) for editing in any tool. PDF for sending out as-is. Both formats, no watermark, no account needed.
When to ask a lawyer
BizDraft is a drafting tool. It is not a substitute for a lawyer who knows your specific situation. Reach for one when:
Government SOWs often have mandatory FAR/DFAR clauses. Enterprise clients may impose their own standard terms. Attorney review is warranted.
When the project output will be patented, licensed to third parties, or incorporates pre-existing IP with complicated ownership, get an IP attorney involved.
If the client wants liquidated damages for late delivery or significant penalty clauses, have a lawyer review what you're agreeing to.
FAQ
Not necessarily. A standalone SOW with full terms works for a single project. An MSA makes sense when you expect to do multiple projects with the same client — it sets the baseline terms once, and each SOW just defines the specific project.
A proposal is pre-signature — it describes what you could do. A signed SOW is a contract — it says what you will do, by when, for how much. A proposal can be converted into an SOW when both parties agree.
A change order is issued. The change order describes the additional work, its price, and the impact on the timeline. Both parties sign it before the extra work begins. The SOW change-order process defines how this works.
Only if the deliverable doesn't meet the agreed acceptance criteria. Subjective "I don't like it" is not a valid reason to withhold payment when the deliverable meets the defined specs. This is why acceptance criteria must be specific and objective.
Yes. No paywall, no trial, no credit card. Read about the business model →
Free. Tailored. State-aware. Yours to keep.
Start your statement of work