Network installation jobs drift because the building is never what the drawing shows. You quote twelve cable drops and find the ceiling is plaster, not tile. The client adds a second switch closet mid-job. Someone asks you to move the printer and set up the guest Wi-Fi while you're there. Without a written scope, every one of those becomes free work or an argument.
This page gives you a working scope of work for IT and network installation. It lists what to put in, what to leave out, and what clients tend to assume comes free. It walks through a worked example, covers pricing structures, and flags the questions to settle before you commit to a number. At the bottom is a fill-in-the-blanks template you can copy into your next proposal.
Scoping a new IT and network installation job right now?Paste the email or chat thread. One-page scope in under a minute. Free preview, then $19 for 10 scopes.
What your IT and network installation scope of work should include
Drop count, cable category, and locations. Example: 24 Cat6 drops, two per office, terminated at a patch panel in the storage room, locations marked on the attached floor plan. Drop count is the biggest cost driver and the easiest place for a client to add just a few more.
Equipment list with quantities and who supplies it. Switches, access points, firewall, rack, patch panels, UPS. State whether you or the client buys it and who owns lead times and warranty claims. Supply responsibility decides who waits on backorders and who handles a dead-on-arrival switch.
Termination, labeling, and testing standard. Both ends labeled, T568B, and whether you deliver a wiremap verification or a full certification report, in what format. Tested means different things to different people, and a certified report costs more time and equipment than a quick wiremap.
Site access and conditions. Working hours, after-hours premium, ceiling type, whether a lift or ladder is needed, escort requirements, and any permits. Access limits and ceiling type drive labor hours more than the cable itself.
Configuration scope. Number of VLANs, SSIDs, DHCP scopes, firewall rules, remote access, and how credentials and documentation are handed over. Physical installation and configuration are separate labor, and unlisted config requests are where jobs quietly double.
Timeline with dependencies on other parties. Electrician finishes power at the rack, ISP circuit is live, furniture is placed, client signs off on drop locations by a set date. Your schedule depends on trades you do not control, and dated dependencies protect you when they slip.
Acceptance criteria and handover. Test report delivered, walkthrough completed, punch list window, and the workmanship warranty term. It defines the moment the job is done and the final invoice is due.
What to put under “out of scope”
These are the things IT and network installation clients most often assume are included. Listing them up front is what keeps the project
from growing after you've quoted.
Electrical work: new outlets, dedicated circuits at the rack, conduit, or anything that needs a licensed electrician.
ISP coordination: ordering the circuit, chasing the provider, extending the demarc, or waiting on site for the installer.
Building repair: patching and painting walls or ceilings, core drilling, and fire-stopping beyond basic sleeves or putty pads.
End-user device setup: joining laptops and phones to the network, printer setup, email migration, or software installs.
Ongoing support, monitoring, or remote troubleshooting after handover.
Removal of abandoned or legacy cabling, even where code requires it, unless it is listed as a line item.
Added or moved drops after the floor plan is signed off; these go through a change order at the stated per-drop rate.
Example: from a messy client email to a one-page scope
This is the kind of request that usually lands in your inbox:
Moving our office (35 people) to a new suite in January. Need network cabling, wifi that actually works in the conference room, move the server closet, VoIP phones, and cameras at the doors. The landlord's electrician is doing power. Our current IT guy retired. We have Microsoft 365. Also the printers never work. Can you quote this and maybe do ongoing support after?
And this is the one-page scope ScopeSnap produced from it, unedited:
Office Move IT Infrastructure and Setup
The client needs a turnkey IT build-out of a new 35-person suite plus a clean handoff into managed support, since they no longer have in-house IT.
In scope
Structured cabling: up to 50 Cat6 data drops to desks, conference room, printers, and camera locations, terminated and labeled
Wi-Fi design and install: site survey plus up to 5 enterprise access points, with conference-room coverage tested and verified
Server closet relocation: one rack, up to 2 servers, switches, firewall, and UPS moved and reconnected over one weekend
VoIP rollout: up to 35 desk phones on a cloud provider, ported numbers, auto-attendant, and one 60-minute staff walkthrough
Door cameras: up to 4 IP cameras at entry doors with NVR or cloud recording and remote viewing for 2 admins
Printer fix: up to 3 existing printers reconfigured on the new network with Microsoft 365-based deployment to all 35 users
Documentation: network map, IP scheme, credentials vault, and vendor list handed over at completion
Move weekend cutover: on-site Friday evening through Monday morning with day-one desk-side support
Out of scope
Electrical work, conduit, or dedicated circuits, including any power the landlord's electrician does not cover
New servers, switches, firewall, or UPS if existing gear is end-of-life; hardware quoted separately
Monthly VoIP service fees, ISP contracts, and internet circuit installation or lead-time delays at the new suite
Replacement printers, copier leases, or service contracts with the print vendor
Access-control door locks, badge readers, or intercoms; cameras are recording only
Physical move of desks, monitors, and PCs; a moving company handles furniture and end-user equipment
Microsoft 365 migration, cleanup, licensing changes, or security hardening beyond what the move requires
Ongoing support after the 30-day post-move warranty; quoted as a separate monthly agreement
Assumptions
Landlord's electrician delivers power to the server closet and ceiling AP locations at least two weeks before cutover
Internet service is ordered by the client now and live at the new suite one week before the move
Existing server, firewall, and switches are under five years old and will be reused as-is
Admin access to Microsoft 365, the current firewall, phone provider, and domain registrar is available before work starts
One decision-maker signs off on floor plan, drop locations, and phone extensions within five business days of request
Suite has drop ceilings or accessible cable paths; no plaster, concrete coring, or asbestos abatement required
Open questions
What is the exact move date, and can we get access to the new suite for cabling two to three weeks prior?
Do you have a floor plan with desk counts per area, and what is the square footage of the suite and conference room?
What is currently in the server closet, how old is it, and is anything already in the cloud?
Is the existing phone system on-prem or cloud, and who is the carrier for the numbers you want to keep?
How many entry doors need cameras, and do you need recording retention beyond 30 days?
For ongoing support, do you want help-desk coverage for all 35 users, or infrastructure-only monitoring?
Suggested price band
Low$22,000
Likely$34,000
High$52,000
Driven mainly by drop count and cable-path difficulty, whether server and network hardware must be replaced, and camera count; ongoing support would run roughly $3,000–$4,500/mo for 35 users.
Reply to send the client
I understand you need the new suite fully wired, connected, and running by your January move, with phones, door cameras, working conference-room Wi-Fi, and printers that finally behave, plus someone to call afterward. My quote covers cabling, Wi-Fi, the server closet relocation, VoIP setup, cameras, printer configuration, and a 30-day post-move warranty; it excludes electrical, internet and phone service fees, new hardware if your current gear is aging, and furniture or PC moving. Expect roughly $22,000–$52,000 depending on how many drops the floor plan calls for and whether your existing server and network equipment can be reused, with ongoing support quoted separately once we've seen your environment. To lock the number, please send the floor plan with desk locations and your target move date, and I'll schedule a site walk at the new suite this week.
How to price IT and network installation work
Most installers price cabling per drop with a materials line, and price equipment installation and configuration as a fixed fee or a day rate. Hourly works for troubleshooting and small adds. Retainers suit ongoing support, not installs. Packages work for repeatable small-office builds. The number goes up with hard-lid ceilings, long runs, after-hours work, lift rentals, certification testing, multiple IDF closets, and configuration beyond a flat network. Quote a range until you have walked the site, confirmed the ceiling type, and agreed on drop locations and equipment supply. A firm number before those answers is a guess that you will pay for.
Free IT and network installation scope of work template
Copy this, fill in the brackets, and delete anything that doesn't apply.
PROJECT
Client: [CLIENT NAME] | Site: [SITE ADDRESS, FLOOR/SUITE] | Prepared by: [YOUR NAME] | Date: [DATE]
SUMMARY
Install [NUMBER] [CAT6/CAT6A] data drops, [NUMBER] wireless access points, and one [SIZE]U rack with patch panel and switch in [ROOM] for a [BUSINESS TYPE] with [NUMBER] users.
IN SCOPE
- Pull, terminate, and label [NUMBER] drops from [LOCATIONS] to the patch panel in [ROOM], per floor plan [REFERENCE]
- Mount and cable [NUMBER] access points at the locations marked on [FLOOR PLAN REFERENCE]
- Install [RACK/CABINET], [NUMBER]-port patch panel, [NUMBER]-port switch, [FIREWALL/ROUTER], and [UPS MODEL CLASS]
- Configure [NUMBER] VLANs, [NUMBER] SSIDs, DHCP, and firewall rules per [REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT]
- Test every drop to [VERIFICATION/CERTIFICATION] standard; deliver test report, port map, and credentials in [FORMAT]
OUT OF SCOPE
- Electrical work, new outlets, or dedicated circuits (client's electrician)
- ISP circuit ordering, demarc extension, or waiting on provider installs
- Wall, ceiling, or paint repair; fire-stopping beyond [SLEEVES/PUTTY PADS]
- End-user device setup, printer setup, or data migration
- Removal of abandoned cable and any support after the [NUMBER]-day workmanship warranty
ASSUMPTIONS
- Ceilings are [DROP TILE/OPEN/HARD LID]; pathways are accessible without core drilling
- Power and cooling at the rack location are ready by [DATE]
- Hardware is [SUPPLIED BY CLIENT/SUPPLIED BY CONTRACTOR] and on site by [DATE]
CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide access [HOURS/DAYS], keys or badges, and a contact who can approve drop locations on site
- Confirm drop locations on the floor plan by [DATE] and supply ISP account details and existing network documentation
TIMELINE
- Site walk and final drop plan: [DATE] | Cabling: [DATES] | Equipment and configuration: [DATES] | Testing and handover: [DATE]
REVISIONS
- Drop locations may be moved once before cabling starts at no charge; added or moved drops after that are billed at [RATE] per drop by change order
PRICE AND PAYMENT
- [FIXED PRICE/RANGE] for the scope above; [PERCENT]% deposit, [PERCENT]% on cabling complete, balance on acceptance
- Materials billed [AT COST PLUS PERCENT/INCLUDED]; after-hours work at [RATE]; return visits caused by site not ready at [RATE]
ACCEPTANCE
- Client walkthrough with test report and port map; punch list items resolved within [NUMBER] business days; final invoice due on sign-off
- Signed: [CLIENT NAME] ________ Date: ______ [CONTRACTOR NAME] ________ Date: ______
Rather not fill in the blanks by hand?Paste the email or chat thread. One-page scope in under a minute. Free preview, then $19 for 10 scopes.
Break it into labor, materials, and testing. Labor depends on run length, ceiling type, pathway access, and whether you need a lift. Materials cover cable, jacks, faceplates, patch panel ports, and patch cords. Testing adds time if certification is required. Price per drop after a site walk, and state a per-drop rate for additions so extra drops are never a negotiation.
Should I supply the equipment or have the client buy it?
Either works if the scope says who does what. If you supply it, you control compatibility and lead times and can mark up materials, but you carry returns and warranty claims. If the client buys it, state the exact model class, quantity, and delivery date you need, and note that mismatched or late gear delays the schedule and may cost extra trips.
What do I do when the client adds drops after the job starts?
Point to the revisions section of the scope. Drop locations can move once before cabling begins. After that, added or moved drops are a change order at the stated per-drop rate, plus any return visit fee. Get the change signed before you pull cable. This keeps the relationship clean and stops a fixed-price job from turning into unpaid labor.
How do I protect myself from site conditions I cannot see?
Write assumptions into the scope. State the ceiling type, that pathways are accessible without core drilling, that power at the rack is ready by a date, and that fire-rated walls are sleeved or will be. If you open a ceiling and find something different, you have a documented basis for a change order instead of eating the extra hours.