Sample scoping document
This is what you get back when you describe a job. The job, the photos and the home are made up, and the pictures are drawings, not photos of a real home.
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Sample. Made-up job, drawn illustrations.
FN-SAMPLE-02
finalist.cc scoping document
Scoping document: backyard fence repair
| Trade | Fence repair (a fence contractor or a handyman) |
|---|---|
| What we read | Five photos and two lines from the homeowner (made up for this sample) |
| The homeowner said | “Part of the back fence is leaning after a storm and the gate drags. Not sure if it needs repair or a new fence.” |
| The fence | Wood privacy fence, about 6 feet tall, along the back property line, with one walk gate |
| Prepared by | A person at finalist.cc. The drawings are traced from the sample photos, not of a real home. |
1. The job in one paragraph
Repair one leaning section and one broken post on a wood privacy fence, replace missing and split pickets, and fix a sagging walk gate. Ask each contractor to price the repair line by line, and to price a full replacement of the back run as a separate option, so you can see where repair stops making sense.
2. What the photos show
- 1 Post 4 is broken at the ground line. The wood at the break looks dark and soft.
- 2 The section between posts 3 and 4 leans toward the neighbor’s yard. The top rail has pulled off post 4.
- 3 About six pickets between posts 4 and 5 are missing or split.
- 4 The walk gate sags: its latch side drags on the ground and the latch no longer meets the catch. No diagonal brace is visible on the gate.
- 5 Along sections 1 and 2 the bottoms of the pickets touch the soil and are darker than the rest.
3. What we could not tell from the photos
- Whether other posts are soft below the ground. Only digging or pushing on them will tell.
- How the posts are set: in concrete, or in packed soil.
- Whether the fence sits on the property line or is shared with the neighbor.
- What is underground near the posts: sprinkler lines, cable, gas.
- Any homeowners association or city rule on fence repair or height.
- The age of the fence.
4. Measurements still needed
| Measure | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Length of the back run, post to post | feet | |
| Distance between posts | feet | |
| Fence height | feet | |
| Gate width | inches | |
| Number of posts on the back run | count | |
| Rails per section (2 or 3) | count | |
| Picket width | inches |
5. What a quote should price, line by line
| Line | Ask each contractor to state | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Replace post 4 | Post size and material, and how it is set (concrete or not). Removal of the old footing. | |
| Check the other posts | How they will check them, and a price per extra post, so quotes compare if more are found. | |
| Straighten section 3 to 4 | Re-attach or replace the rails; how many rails are replaced. | |
| Pickets | How many are replaced, and whether new pickets match the old in size and wood. | |
| Gate | Repair (rehang, add a brace, adjust hinges and latch) priced separately from a new gate. | |
| Picket bottoms along sections 1 and 2 | Whether to trim the pickets off the soil or leave them, and the price for each. | |
| Underground lines | Who calls 811 to have lines marked before new holes are dug. | |
| Haul away | Removal of old posts, rails, pickets and concrete. | |
| Stain or seal | Optional, priced separately. New wood will not match old wood at first. | |
| Permit | Whether the city needs one for this work, and who gets it. | |
| Schedule and payment | Start date, working days, deposit and when the balance is due, warranty on the work. |
6. Two options to price
- Option A: repair. The lines above, with a price per extra post found soft.
- Option B: replace the back run. New posts, rails and pickets for the whole back run, and a new gate. Ask for this only as a comparison.
7. Questions a contractor will ask you
- How wide is the side gate? Can equipment and materials get to the back yard?
- Are there pets in the yard during the work?
- Will the neighbor allow access to their side?
- Are there sprinkler heads or lines along the fence?
- When do you want it done?
8. How to use this document
- Fill in the measurements, or ask each contractor to measure.
- Send this document to two or three contractors you choose. We do not send it for you.
- Ask each one to price every line, and Option B separately.
- When the quotes come back, send each one on the finalist.cc quote form for a benchmark note.
Prepared by finalist.cc, run by Our Landmen LLC. A sample to show the format; the job, the photos and the home are made up, and the drawings are illustrations.