As a professional interior designer, your work is more than just design. It is your responsibility to take care of the construction and management of the project. You need to put several things in place to ensure the success of your design business. Other than the interior design contract, a scope of work helps you understand all the tasks involved in the project. It is an essential document if you want to convey the design you have in mind correctly.
However, the truth is, many interior designers do not make use of a scope of work. Some don’t even know how it comes to play in a project. Maybe you are also asking, what is an interior design scope of work? Interior designing is about understanding people and the needs of people in their space. How does having one in place help you?
What is the interior design scope of work?
An interior design scope of work is a document that details all the tasks, who does each job, the timeline, and all other conditions in a design project. It is the narrative description of what the project requires. You need to add the scope of work to the request for proposal (RFP) and service agreement. It would also help you to know whether the project measured up to the goals at its completion (here's a sample statement of work).
The scope of the work comes into play after the design and drawing stages have been completed. What is in an interior design scope of work might depend on the type of project. However, certain features should constantly be in a scope of work. You need to ensure that these elements are present in your document.
What should an interior design scope of work contain?
Your scope of work as an interior designer should always contain specific details. Some of the features you should include are;
1. Construction administration
As an interior designer, you are also a part of the construction process. You should include your contributions in the scope of work. These contributions are your replies to the contractor’s suggestions, the revised construction documents, and design intents based on construction documents. All these should be made available within an agreed timeframe.
2. Construction
Your job as an interior designer continues during the construction. You also have to detail what you do during this period in your interior design scope of work. The details include your deficiency inspection list and the final snag list.
3. Site representation
Typically, the presence of the interior designer is not required on the site full-time. However, if you offer this service, you should include it in your scope of work. You should also include a separate fee for this service.
4. Any additional services
You can add any additional services that you offer in your scope of work. The document should also include the timeline and fees for your services. Your client can also make changes to the scope of work before it is signed and agreed upon. After the owner or project manager approves in writing, you can start the work.
You might be wondering why you should go through the stress of creating an interior design scope of work. Let’s look at the importance of this document.
The importance of an interior design scope of work
An interior design scope of work affects the overall outcome of the project. An adequately prepared one ensures that you attain the project goals on budget, quality, and schedule and achieve design intent within a set framework. Review our free interior designer questionnaire to make sure you ask the right questions for a successful project.
Some other reasons why a scope of work is necessary includes;
- It helps you avoid any clashes with the architect.
- It reduces miscommunication and wrong expectations.
- You can avoid any waste from unexpected charges and scattered items as it keeps people accountable.
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