What a scope letter is
A scope letter is the written bid you send to the GC. Some people call it a proposal or a quote. It tells the GC what your number buys. It also protects you if the scope is argued later.
What to put in it
- Your company name, the estimator, a phone number and an email.
- The project name and location, as written on the drawings.
- The bid documents you used: drawing date, spec sections and each addendum by number.
- The base bid price.
- Alternates and unit prices, each as its own line.
- Inclusions. What you furnish and what you install.
- Exclusions. What the GC must buy from someone else.
- Qualifications. The conditions your price depends on.
- How long the price is good.
Name the documents
List the spec sections by number and title. List the addenda you received. A later addendum may come out after you send the bid. The GC can then see that your number does not cover it.
Write for a reader in a hurry
The GC reads your letter on bid day with many others. Put the price near the top. Use short lists, not paragraphs. Use the same words the spec uses, so the GC can match your lines to the section.
Common mistakes
- A price with no scope. The GC must guess what is in it.
- A boilerplate exclusion list that does not match the job.
- No mention of addenda.
- Furnish and install not stated for each item.
- Tax not addressed. Say if the price includes sales tax.
Bidding and estimating · Updated 11 Nov 2026