Clarification of scope
Descriptive scope
Descriptive scope
A general textual description of work without measurable boundaries, quantities, or completion criteria.
What it regulates
— General intent of the parties.
— Nature and type of work.
— Scope quantity or extent.
— Acceptance, completion, or performance criteria.
— Basis for pricing, valuation, or change orders.
— Small-scale or informal work.
— Early project or pre-design stages.
— Projects with high uncertainty or evolving scope.
Lack of measurable boundaries leaves scope open to interpretation.
Disputes over included work, exclusions, and what constitutes additional scope.
Contract interpretation · Statutory adjudication (where available) · Court
In force
- Provincial contract law
- CanLII — descriptive scope jurisprudence
Measured scope
Measured scope
A scope of work defined through measurable units such as areas, quantities, elements, or project stages.
What it regulates
— Quantifiable extent of work.
— Basis for unit-based or quantity-based payment.
— Objective measurement of work performed.
— Methods or means of execution.
— Productivity, sequencing, or speed of work.
— Quality standards absent explicit acceptance criteria.
— Unit-price or schedule-of-rates contracts.
— Repetitive or objectively quantifiable tasks.
— Projects with clearly defined physical quantities.
Measurement alone does not define completion standards or acceptable quality.
Disputes over measurement methodology, included activities, adjustments, and partial completion.
Contract interpretation · Statutory adjudication (where available) · Court
In force
-
Provincial contract law
-
CanLII — unit-based scope jurisprudence
Result-based scope
Result-based scope
A scope of work defined by a required completed outcome with explicit acceptance criteria, rather than by process or quantities.
What it regulates
— What constitutes completion.
— Conditions for acceptance of the work.
— Entitlement to payment upon achievement of the accepted result.
— Methods, means, or sequence of execution.
— Time, effort, or productivity required to achieve the result.
— Price, unless expressly defined elsewhere in the contract.
— Fixed-price or turnkey contracts.
— Work with objectively verifiable outcomes.
— Situations requiring predictable completion standards.
Acceptance criteria are often incomplete, ambiguous, or subjective.
Disputes over whether contractual acceptance criteria have been met.
Acceptance determination · Statutory adjudication (where available) · Court
In force
-
Provincial contract law
-
CanLII — result-based scope jurisprudence
Hybrid scope
Hybrid scope
A scope of work combining descriptive, measured, and result-based elements within a single contract.
What it regulates
— Different portions of work under distinct scope definitions.
— Allocation of risk across defined components.
— Use of multiple payment bases within one agreement.
— Overall project efficiency or productivity.
— Conflicts between overlapping scope definitions unless expressly addressed.
— Automatic resolution of changes affecting multiple scope types.
— Complex or phased projects.
— Contracts with fixed-price and variable components.
— Projects with mixed levels of scope certainty.
Overlapping or inconsistent scope definitions are often not reconciled contractually.
Disputes arise when changes affect measured and result-based portions differently or simultaneously.
Contract interpretation · Statutory adjudication (where available) · Court
In force
-
Provincial contract law
-
CanLII — hybrid scope jurisprudence