Scope of work letter
Also called scope letter, scope narrative, letter of intent
A written narrative describing exactly what work is proposed, used by reviewers to decide what the project is and which reviews it needs.
When it applies
In the permitting lifecycle, scope of work letter applies during Preparation, Submission, and Plan review. Documents commonly matter at more than one phase, and this one does.
- Setup: does not usually apply
- Preparation: applies at this phase
- Submission: applies at this phase
- Plan review: applies at this phase
- Permit issued: does not usually apply
- Inspections: does not usually apply
- Closeout: does not usually apply
A scope of work letter is a plain-language narrative of what the project actually involves. Some departments require one by name; many more effectively require it through the description field on the application form.
Where it applies in the lifecycle
Written during Preparation, filed at Submission, and leaned on during Plan review when a reviewer needs to know whether something is in scope. It is the document that answers the reviewer's question "what am I looking at" before they open the drawings.
What a good one does
- States the work in specific terms, room by room or system by system
- Says explicitly what is not included, which heads off assumptions
- Identifies structural work, since that determines which reviews are triggered
- Notes anything unusual about the site or the building
- Matches the drawings, the application form, and the valuation
Why specificity pays
Reviewers use the scope to route the project. A vague description like "interior renovation" invites a reviewer to assume the worst case and demand documents a smaller job does not need. A precise one, naming the walls being removed and the systems being touched, gets a proportionate review.
It also matters later. When the scope changes mid-project, the original letter is the baseline that establishes a revision is required, and a clear baseline makes that conversation short.
Related terms
Rules vary by jurisdiction
This definition is general. How scope of work letter is handled in practice is set by the building department that permits your property. Find yours in our free directory.
Last reviewed September 4, 2026