Scope of Work for Restaurants: How to Define It, Why It Matters, and What to Include

Communicating restaurant project scope is the first step in a successful restaurant construction journey. Learn all the bases to cover before you break ground.

Key takeaways:

• Project scope documents for restaurants define timelines, materials, and contractor responsibilities.
• Their usefulness lives and dies on clear communication between the client, the contractor, and the related trades.
• Benefits of effective project scoping are greater efficiency, better budgetary adherence, and fewer risks onsite.

A precise scope of work for restaurant construction is key to timely project success and budgetary adherence. The project’s timeline, budget, and required labor and materials are just a few of the central metrics made possible by solid scoping.

Unwanted issues in commercial construction, like delays, change orders, and cost overruns, can often be traced back to a poorly defined scope of work. And when your scope of work lacks the proper definition, communication falls apart. Assumptions are made, incorrect conclusions are drawn, and your project’s chance of success drops significantly.

That’s why, in this article, we’ll explain how clarifying scope helps keep everyone on the same page, sets distinct expectations, and avoids some very common (and very costly) restaurant construction planning mistakes.

Defining the Scope of Work for Restaurant Projects

The precise scope of work for restaurants varies between projects, but all share four common aspects. Firmly establishing these creates clear guidelines throughout the construction chain:

• Timelines must be realistic. This requires close collaboration between contractors, clients, and regulatory bodies.

• Defined deliverables consisting of the construction factors that can’t be compromised on, unlike incremental progress goals, which may need to be dynamically addressed.

• Material specs detailing the type and standard of construction materials necessary to achieve structural integrity, safety, functionality, and the desired aesthetic.

• Clear contractor responsibilities for each trade to prevent overlapping and gaps in subcontractor assignments.
  

These four pillars form the basic foundation for any restaurant project’s scope of work. However, your restaurant construction planning will require a more specialized strategy.

The Essential Elements in Restaurant Construction Planning

Pre-construction meetings are key to establishing a solid scope of work. They’re your first (and sometimes only) chance to root out potential risks and errors before proceeding, as well as to clearly establish all roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Incorporating code compliance and permits into the early stages of restaurant construction planning is vital. The specifics of these requirements, like local zoning laws, often vary by location,  so working with a construction company that knows the restaurant business and your local community will go a long way in avoiding expensive mistakes.

Additionally, every element of restaurant design, like the building’s architectural, electrical, and plumbing elements, must be fully aligned and integrated into your plans before work begins. You don’t want a heavy change order hitting your project because the wiring and waterworks don’t mix.

The initial planning stage is also the best time to clarify how a restaurant’s design will blend functionality and aesthetics. Seating arrangements, washrooms, and floor plans are much easier to rearrange with a few clicks of a mouse!

With all that in order, the project manager should then lay out the project’s major milestones, their related sub-phases, and how and when they should (ideally) be reached.

How a Clear Restaurant Project Scope Reduces Change Orders and Delays

Change orders are essentially on-the-go modifications to your restaurant project’s scope of work. These project design changes can emerge at any stage of construction, and the later they appear, the more financially harmful they can be.

These orders are sometimes unavoidable in construction projects. But more often than not, they are avoidable, and it’s these that are the bane of any build. They add extra time, money, and effort to a project, all of which could have been saved if the restaurant construction planning stage had prioritized communication.

Don’t think about moving beyond the planning stage without laying the framework for a detailed scope that’s backed by regularly updated documentation on every aspect of your restaurant construction planning. These are your most powerful tools for limiting miscommunication and budget creep.

Real-World Benefits and Common Pitfalls

Projects with strong initial scopes do more than avoid reworks and minimize change orders. Tying scope to compliance can help restaurants avoid steep regulatory fines and fees both during and after construction.

A detailed scope of work for restaurants also fosters cross-project accountability. This helps prevent common pitfalls, like conflicts between trades teams that can reduce efficiency.

It also keeps everything clear and concise…and in writing…between client and contractor to lessen the chance of project deterioriation, miscommunication, and false accusations.

But most importantly, comprehensive restaurant construction planning greatly reduces onsite risk of physical injury or death. Many construction accidents are directly caused by a lack of information and the poor enforcement of clear performance boundaries.

Checklist Templates for Owners

When confident with your scope of work for restaurant construction, the next steps are issuing a request for information (RFI) should any professionals require clarification, and then considering contractor bids. 

A structured checklist covering the following helps in both instances:

• Communication protocols
• Deliverables and tasks by phase
• Budget and tasks by phase
• Budget allowances by trade
• Permits, inspections, and compliance
• Change order handling procedures

Clearly communicating these aspects of your restaurant construction planning helps clients attract the right kind of restaurant contractor. Construction professionals looking to submit RFIs can use this free resource to customize some basic templates and use these documents more effectively.

Best Practices When Working with Architects, Designers, and Contractors

We should emphasize that, while a scope of work for restaurant construction must have a firm framework, it also needs room to be flexible. 

Many elements and teams must work together, and the more moving parts that are present, the greater the potential for speed bumps.

Host a kickoff pre‑construction meeting to align roles and define decision-making chains. Listen to and respect the input of each trade equally, and use standardized templates and precise language to avoid ambiguity in understanding and execution.

When you then review scope details before bids and again before work begins, you’re doing everything possible for your restaurant construction planning before breaking ground.

Clear Project Scopes Build Something Beyond Construction

Sticking to a scope of work for restaurants is about more than checking boxes. Fulfilling a project’s scope is how a contractor keeps their word…and honoring that arrangement of trust is what builds strong relationships. 

RPC General Contractors has years of experience in successful restaurant construction planning. We can help you create a comprehensive scope of work that safeguards against common pitfalls like miscommunication and change orders.

Contact us today to discuss your project, and learn more about how we embody thoughtful restaurant construction and efficient, contractor-aligned execution!