What Is Scope Drift?
Scope drift is the gap between what the job originally included and what the work has quietly become after small additions, assumptions, and undocumented changes.
Read guideResources
Practical guides for scope control and closeout
Straight answers on scope drift, change orders, agreements, and the records small project-based teams need to keep jobs financially clear.
Change Order vs. Estimate vs. Agreement
An estimate sets the expected scope and pricing, an agreement defines the committed deal, and a change order records what changed after commitment.
Read guideCloseout Package Checklist
A closeout package should show the original committed scope, every approved change, the final totals, and the supporting records needed to hand off or defend the job.
Read guideHow Contractors Track Scope Changes
Contractors track scope changes best when the original scope stays locked, each approved change is recorded as its own entry, and the job total updates from that ledger.
Read guideWant a cleaner process for estimates, change orders, and closeout?
See how SMB Workbench keeps the job record and current total clear from commitment to closeout.