Question 1

What's the difference between an SOW and a quote?

Accepted Answer

A quote is a price; an SOW (statement of work) is a price plus the scope, deliverables, timeline, payment terms, and acceptance criteria attached to it. Sending a quote without an SOW is the #1 cause of scope-creep disputes — clients later claim the price covered things you never agreed to. This generator combines both into one document.

Question 2

Should I quote fixed price, hourly, or day rate?

Accepted Answer

Fixed price works for projects with crisp deliverables (3 videos, a website, a logo). Hourly works for ambiguous scopes where the client is paying for your time, not an outcome. Day rate works for embedded engagements (on-site for the week of a launch, retainer-style strategy work). Mixing types in the same SOW is fine — most retainers split fixed monthly + hourly overage.

Question 3

What payment terms should I ask for?

Accepted Answer

For projects under $10k: 50% deposit, 50% on delivery is standard and protects you against client churn. For $10k+: milestone-based (33/33/34) keeps cash flowing and makes scope renegotiation cleaner mid-project. NET-30 is fine for established clients but adds 30 days of float — only offer it if your business can absorb it.

Question 4

How do I scope deliverables to avoid scope creep?

Accepted Answer

Write deliverables as countable nouns — '3 × 30s vertical videos with 2 rounds of revisions per video' is unambiguous. 'Social media content' is not. Always include an explicit out-of-scope section listing things the client might assume are included (music sync rights, talent fees, additional cuts, captions). Anything not listed = quoted separately.

Question 5

Do I need a separate contract?

Accepted Answer

An SOW is technically a contract once both parties sign, especially with payment terms and acceptance language included. For larger or longer engagements, layer in a master services agreement (MSA) covering IP, confidentiality, indemnification, and termination — then attach SOWs as exhibits. Pair this with our UGC contract generator for the per-shoot specifics.

SOW & Quote Generator

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