Sitework Scope of Work Template
Download a sitework scope of work template to define earthwork, grading, utilities, aggregate, trucking, erosion control, exclusions, and project responsibilities.
Define Sitework Responsibilities Before Construction Begins
A sitework scope of work gives excavation, grading, and underground utility contractors a structured way to document exactly what their crews are responsible for completing. It can define clearing, earthwork, material movement, grading, aggregate, underground utilities, trucking, dewatering, erosion control, testing, restoration, and closeout requirements in one project-specific record.
This Sitework Scope of Work Template is built for sitework contractors, excavation contractors, grading contractors, underground utility subcontractors, estimators, project managers, superintendents, and other specialty contractors responsible for civil construction work.
What Is a Sitework Scope of Work?
A sitework scope of work describes the labor, materials, equipment, trucking, temporary measures, coordination, and deliverables included in a contractor's site-development package. It establishes limits of work and helps distinguish the contractor's responsibilities from work assigned to the owner, general contractor, testing agency, surveyor, utility contractor, or another trade.
The scope should be tied to the documents used to define the work, including applicable civil drawings, grading plans, utility plans and profiles, specifications, geotechnical information, addenda, RFIs, approved submittals, and contract documents.
When to Use a Sitework Scope of Work
- Converting an awarded sitework proposal into a field-ready scope
- Defining excavation, cut, fill, grading, and material-movement responsibilities
- Documenting storm, sanitary, water, and other underground utility work
- Assigning responsibility for trucking, import, export, borrow, and disposal
- Defining dewatering, trench safety, erosion control, surveying, and testing responsibilities
- Coordinating phased site-development work with other contractors
- Clarifying exclusions and work performed by others
- Documenting revised scope after an approved project change
- Preparing field teams for mobilization and production
- Establishing a reference for change-order and closeout discussions
What to Include in a Sitework Scope of Work
| Scope Section | What to Document |
|---|---|
| Project References | Project information, contract references, civil drawings, grading plans, utility plans and profiles, specifications, geotechnical information, addenda, and RFIs. |
| Limits of Work | Phases, areas, building pads, roadways, utility corridors, elevations, tie-in points, and other physical limits of the sitework package. |
| Clearing and Topsoil | Clearing, grubbing, tree or stump removal, topsoil stripping, stockpiling, protection, reuse, and respreading. |
| Earthwork | Excavation, cut, fill, onsite reuse, export, import, stockpiling, rehandling, undercut, unsuitable material, and rock where applicable. |
| Grading and Aggregate | Rough grading, fine grading, proof rolling, subgrade preparation, structural fill, aggregate base, bedding stone, drainage stone, geotextile, and geogrid. |
| Underground Utilities | Storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water, fire service, pipe, structures, trenching, bedding, backfill, tie-ins, testing, and restoration. |
| Trucking and Material Movement | Truck responsibilities, material sources, export destinations, disposal facilities, haul routes, staging, and delivery requirements. |
| Temporary Work | Dewatering, pumping, trench boxes, shoring, erosion control, temporary access, and other temporary measures included in the scope. |
| Survey and Testing | Layout, grade control, as-built information, density testing, compaction testing, utility testing, inspections, corrective work, and retesting responsibilities. |
| Schedule and Coordination | Mobilization, area releases, utility sequencing, access, work hours, phasing, material deliveries, remobilization, and coordination requirements. |
| Exclusions and Work by Others | Clearly identifies activities and responsibilities that are outside the sitework contractor's scope. |
| Closeout | Final grading, restoration, testing records, punch-list work, as-built requirements, cleanup, and turnover responsibilities. |
How to Use the Template
- Enter the project, customer, contract, proposal, project manager, superintendent, and applicable document references.
- Define the physical limits of the sitework package by phase, area, pad, roadway, utility corridor, or another project-specific location.
- Break earthwork into clearing, stripping, excavation, cut, fill, onsite reuse, export, import, undercut, rough grading, and fine grading as applicable.
- Document the material-balance basis and keep bank, loose, and compacted quantities distinguishable where those measurements affect the work.
- List aggregate and imported materials by material type, quantity, source, placement area, and responsible party.
- Define underground utilities by system, pipe material, size, depth range, structures, bedding, backfill, testing, tie-ins, and restoration.
- Assign responsibility for trucking, disposal, dewatering, trench safety, erosion control, surveying, testing, traffic control, and utility locating.
- Document access, haul routes, work hours, phasing, area releases, material deliveries, and remobilization requirements.
- List exclusions and work by others separately so field teams can distinguish included work from another party's responsibility.
- Record revisions whenever an approved change affects quantities, grades, utilities, conditions, schedule, or responsibilities.
A sitework subcontractor's scope includes clearing and stripping, mass excavation, onsite cut-to-fill operations, imported structural fill, aggregate base, storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water main, erosion-control installation, and final grading. Export hauling is included to a designated disposal location, while survey control is provided by the general contractor and density testing is performed by the owner's testing agency. Rock excavation is excluded, and additional undercut caused by unsuitable soils requires authorization before proceeding.
Best Practices for Defining Sitework Scope
- Reference the current drawings, specifications, addenda, RFIs, and geotechnical information used to define the work.
- Identify exact phases, areas, elevations, pads, roadways, and utility corridors instead of relying on broad site descriptions.
- Separate onsite cut-to-fill operations from export, import, stockpiling, and material rehandling.
- Distinguish bank, loose, and compacted earthwork quantities when measurement basis matters.
- Define where exported material goes and where imported material originates when those responsibilities are known.
- Describe utility work by system, pipe size, depth range, structures, bedding, backfill, testing, and restoration.
- Assign dewatering, trench safety, erosion control, surveying, testing, utility locating, and traffic-control responsibilities explicitly.
- Document access restrictions, haul routes, work-hour limitations, phasing, and remobilization requirements.
- Keep exclusions and work by others visible instead of burying them in general notes.
- Maintain revision history when the approved scope changes.
Common Sitework Scope of Work Mistakes
- Using phrases such as “complete sitework” without defining individual activities and limits
- Failing to document the cut-and-fill or material-balance basis
- Leaving export, import, stockpile, and rehandling responsibilities unclear
- Failing to address unsuitable soils, rock, groundwater, contamination, or buried obstructions
- Defining utility installation without addressing trenching, bedding, backfill, structures, testing, and restoration
- Leaving dewatering or trench-safety responsibilities undefined
- Failing to assign survey, testing, erosion-control, traffic-control, or utility-locating responsibilities
- Ignoring project phasing, access limitations, haul routes, or remobilization requirements
- Allowing field changes to proceed without updating the scope or associated change documentation
- Defining installation work without addressing cleanup, punch-list, testing, restoration, or closeout
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a sitework scope of work include?
A useful scope should define project references, limits of work, clearing, earthwork, grading, aggregate, underground utilities, trucking, temporary work, testing, coordination, exclusions, responsibilities, and closeout requirements.
How should earthwork be described?
Separate excavation, cut, fill, onsite reuse, export, import, stockpiling, rehandling, undercut, and grading as applicable. Identify the quantity basis and material destination where those details affect responsibility.
How should underground utilities be documented?
Identify the utility system, pipe material and size, approximate depth range, structures, trenching, bedding, backfill, testing, tie-ins, and restoration included in the contractor's work.
Should unsuitable soil and rock be addressed?
Yes. The scope should identify what is included or excluded and how additional undercut, disposal, replacement material, stabilization, rock excavation, or other changed conditions will be handled under the project documents.
Who is responsible for dewatering?
The scope should explicitly assign dewatering responsibility rather than assume it. Where dewatering is included, document the applicable project requirements and any limits on the contractor's responsibility.
Should trucking be part of the scope?
When the sitework contractor is responsible for hauling, define the material being moved, source, destination, haul responsibility, staging requirements, and any applicable project restrictions.
What should be listed as work by others?
Project-specific examples can include survey control, testing, traffic control, permanent paving, concrete, utility relocation, electrical utilities, landscaping, permits, or work outside the sitework limits. Only list an item as work by others when the project documents support that assignment.
When should the scope be revised?
Revise the scope when an approved change affects grades, quantities, utilities, material sources, disposal requirements, site conditions, access, phasing, temporary measures, or responsibilities.
Keep Sitework Responsibilities Clear From Mobilization Through Closeout
A structured sitework scope of work gives office and field teams a common reference for earthwork, utilities, material movement, trucking, temporary measures, responsibilities, exclusions, coordination, and closeout. Keeping the scope current also makes it easier to identify when field conditions or project directives differ from the work originally assigned.