Statement of Work
Defines one project under an existing master services agreement.
A document that spells out the specific deliverables, timeline, and fees for a particular project, typically issued under the umbrella of an existing master services agreement. It's where the actual scope of work lives, while the MSA handles the legal terms that apply across every project.
- Business days
- 1–5Business days
- Lawyer reviewed
- 100%Lawyer reviewed
- Surprise bills
- $0Surprise bills
What a Statement of Work should include
Deliverables — what is being produced, described specifically enough that both sides would agree when it is done.
Timeline — milestones and dates, and what happens when one side is late.
Fees — the amount, what triggers each invoice, and whether expenses are included.
Acceptance — who signs off, how long they have, and what counts as deemed acceptance.
Assumptions — what you are relying on the client to provide, and what changes if they do not.
Change process — how additional work gets priced and approved instead of absorbed.
When you need one
Every time a new project starts under an MSA. A statement of work is also the right document when a client asks you to "just add" work to an existing engagement — writing it down is what makes the additional scope billable rather than assumed.
How Ruby drafts it
Tell us what you need
Describe the agreement, your business context, and how fast you need it. A few smart questions, not a legal questionnaire. Your price and turnaround are confirmed before anything starts.
Ruby drafts it
Once pricing is confirmed a qualified Ruby lawyer is assigned to your file, and the first draft is built from your answers and real Canadian statute.
A licensed lawyer reviews every line
A lawyer licensed in Canada reviews and finalizes the document before it reaches you, and writes the plain-language summary that comes with it.
Signed, stored, and yours to revisit
You get the final agreement and its summary, stored so you can come back to it rather than hunting through email for the current version.
The fee is set before any of that starts. Hourly billing moves as scope does; a flat fee is one number, confirmed in writing, that doesn’t change after the work is done. See how Ruby prices agreements.
Or did you mean one of these?
These get confused with a Statement of Work often enough to be worth ruling out before you buy the wrong document.
Questions people ask
It can, but then it has to carry the legal terms itself — liability, IP, confidentiality — which makes it a services agreement wearing the wrong name. If there is no MSA, say so and price the document accordingly.
Whoever is doing the work, in almost every case. The party that drafts the scope controls what counts as complete, and that is the term most disputes turn on.
A quote is a price. A statement of work is a contract: it sets scope, acceptance, timing and change control, and it is enforceable. A signed quote with none of that leaves the argument about what was included unresolved.
Looking for the plain definition rather than the document? See Statement of Work in the Ruby legal glossary.
This page is general information about Canadian business law and is not legal advice. Laws differ by province and change over time, and how they apply depends on your circumstances. For advice on your situation, speak with a lawyer licensed in your province.
Need a Statement of Work?
Ruby drafts it for a flat $499 CAD, confirmed before any work begins, with a licensed Canadian lawyer on every document.