Millwork Scope of Work: Template and Checklist for Commercial GCs

Millwork is the finish trade that the owner sees most closely — and the one where scope ambiguity most directly affects perceived quality. Custom casework, reception desks, wood paneling, built-in shelving, and specialty countertops all involve long lead times, shop fabrication, and complex coordination between design intent and field conditions. A vague millwork scope of work creates finish conflicts, delivery failures, and difficult conversations with owners at the end of a project. This guide covers the line items, package requirements, and coordination checkpoints that every PM and estimator needs in their millwork scope of work.

Millwork scopes must define every custom-fabricated item — species, grade, finish, hardware, and substrate — before the shop drawing process begins.

Casework and Cabinet Construction

• AWI/WI quality grade: Specify Premium, Custom, or Economy grade per the Architectural Woodwork Standards (AWS) published by the Woodwork Institute (WI) and the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI). Premium grade is required for exposed commercial casework in executive, lobby, and healthcare environments. Economy grade is typically limited to utility and back-of-house applications.
• Box construction: Specify face-frame vs. frameless (European) construction. Face-frame construction offers greater structural rigidity and is common for commercial casework; frameless is more compatible with contemporary hardware systems. For full-height panels and reception walls, frameless construction allows flush reveals.
• Material species and grade: Specify wood species (maple, white oak, cherry, walnut) or veneer species for face and interior surfaces. Define veneer match type: slip match, book match, or plain-sliced (flat-cut). Specify grain direction (vertical or horizontal) for design-intent consistency. For painted casework, MDF substrate is standard; for stained or clear-finished casework, specify solid wood or hardwood veneer plywood.
• Core material: Particleboard (industrial grade 45 lb/cf minimum), MDF, or hardwood plywood. For wet areas (kitchens, healthcare), specify moisture-resistant core (MR-MDF or NAUF-compliant plywood). Formaldehyde-free substrate required on most LEED and WELL projects — specify CARB Phase 2 or NAUF (no-added urea-formaldehyde) compliance.

Countertops and Horizontal Work Surfaces

• Solid surface (Corian, Wilsonart, etc.): Specify thickness (½" or ¾"), color/pattern, and seaming location. Solid surface can be thermoformed for radius edges. Specify edge profile by standard name (eased, bullnose, waterfall, dupont).
• Quartz composite (engineered stone): For high-use commercial applications. Specify thickness (¾" or 1¼"), finish (polished, honed), and slab series. Quartz is heavier than solid surface — confirm substrate support capacity.
• High-pressure laminate (HPL): Specify manufacturer and product line, thickness (0.036" standard horizontal grade; 0.048" vertical grade), surface finish (gloss, matte, textured), and postforming radius capability. Postformed HPL countertops require a minimum inside radius — confirm with the manufacturer before specifying on tight-radius conditions.
• Butcher block and solid wood: Specify species, grade, edge vs. end vs. face grain, oiling or finishing system, and jointing method. Solid wood countertops require a floating attachment system to allow for seasonal movement — this must be detailed in the shop drawings.
• Stainless steel: For commercial kitchens, labs, and healthcare environments. Specify gauge (16 or 18 gauge for tops), sill size, finish (No. 4 satin, No. 2B), and welded vs. mechanical fastener construction. Stainless steel countertops are typically fabricated and installed by a stainless steel specialty sub — confirm whether this is in the millwork scope or a separate scope.

Specialty Millwork Items

• Reception desk: Specify overall dimensions, high and low counter heights (42" high transaction counter; 30"–34" ADA-accessible work surface), materials per zone (face veneer, laminate, stone), and all wire management and power access requirements. A reception desk without defined power and data access provisions will require field modifications.
• Wood wall paneling: Specify panel module size, attachment system (French cleat, direct adhesive, or mechanical clip), reveal width, and whether the paneling system is solid or veneer. Define the substrate the panels attach to and who is responsible for installing panel backing or blocking.
• Built-in shelving and library systems: Specify adjustable vs. fixed shelving, shelf pin hole spacing, maximum span (without sag) for each shelf depth and material, and load capacity per shelf.

Tip for PMs: The most common millwork scope gap is hardware. Cabinet pulls, hinges, drawer slides, and closers are frequently listed as "NIC" (not in contract) by millwork subs who assume the GC will supply them separately. Define whether hardware is owner-furnished, GC-furnished, or sub-furnished. On a large commercial project, millwork hardware can represent $50,000–$150,000+ and must be in someone's scope.

Millwork is shop-fabricated on long lead times. The submittal and approval process must be built into the schedule from the project start — not treated as a standard two-week turnaround.

Shop Drawings and Submittals

• Shop drawings for all custom millwork items: plan, elevation, and section at 1/4" scale minimum; full-size details at critical connections, edge profiles, and hardware locations
• Finish schedule: sample boards (minimum 6"×6") for each wood species, veneer match, laminate, paint, and stain color — owner and architect approval required before fabrication begins
• Hardware submittals: cut sheets and samples for all pulls, hinges, drawer slides, locks, and closers — specify manufacturer and series
• Countertop material: physical samples for approval and source approval if stone or quartz
• NAUF/CARB Phase 2 compliance documentation for core materials where required
• AWI/WI quality grade certification — confirm the sub is AWI/WI certified or that their quality standards match the specified grade

Lead Times and Schedule

• Custom millwork typically has a 6–12 week fabrication lead time after shop drawing approval. For complex reception desks, paneled walls, or custom stone tops, 14–16 weeks is not uncommon. Issue the millwork NTP and begin the shop drawing process as early as possible in the construction schedule.
• Field measure prior to fabrication: all casework and built-ins must be field-measured after framing, drywall, and rough flooring are complete. Fabricating to drawing dimensions without field verification is a leading cause of millwork fit-up failures.

Best Practices from Leading GCs

• Require the millwork sub to perform a field measure before issuing shop drawings to production. Do not allow shop drawings to go to fabrication based on drawing dimensions alone — field conditions will always vary from drawings, especially at corners and curved walls.
• Hold a pre-installation coordination meeting with the millwork sub, electrical sub, plumbing sub (for under-sink work), and AV/IT sub (for wire management) before delivery. Millwork items with embedded electrical, plumbing, or data provisions must be coordinated in advance or field modifications will be required after delivery.
• For multi-floor or multi-suite projects, sequence millwork delivery by floor to avoid storage damage. Millwork stored on-site for extended periods is at risk from HVAC moisture, construction traffic, and theft. Define minimum environmental conditions for storage and installation.

Millwork installs at the end of the construction sequence — but every trade that goes in earlier affects whether the millwork fits correctly.

Pre-Installation Requirements

• Drywall installation complete and at final finish level before millwork delivery. Millwork installed against unfinished drywall will expose unpainted surfaces at scribes and returns.
• Flooring installed (or final flooring substrate at correct finished floor elevation) before base cabinets are set. Base cabinets set before flooring may require shimming and scribe modifications.
• Plumbing rough-in: confirm all under-sink drain and supply rough-in locations match the millwork shop drawings before cabinet delivery. If plumbing is rough-in to drawing dimensions only, verify against the field-measured shop drawing locations.
• Electrical rough-in: all outlet, switch, and data boxes in millwork walls must be at the correct elevation and depth before casework installation. Confirm with the electrical sub before delivery.

Trade Boundary Clarifications

• Countertop cutouts for sinks: confirm whether the millwork sub or plumbing sub performs the cut. Most millwork subs include sink cutouts for top-mounted sinks; undermount sink cutouts require precise routing and are typically in the millwork scope.
• Backsplash installation: confirm whether stone or tile backsplashes are in the tile sub's scope or the millwork/countertop sub's scope. This is a grey zone that should be explicitly assigned.
• Appliance installation: define whether built-in appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves) are installed by the millwork sub or by a separate appliance sub. The millwork sub typically fits panel fronts and provides the opening — the appliance sub installs and connects.

Pre-Installation Coordination Checklist

• Shop drawings submitted, reviewed, and approved by architect
• Material and finish samples approved
• Field measure complete — fabrication issued to production
• Drywall at final level, painted (at least one coat) in millwork areas
• Final floor height confirmed — base cabinet heights match
• Plumbing and electrical rough-in confirmed against shop drawing locations
• Hardware submittals approved
• Delivery sequence confirmed — storage conditions met

Tip for Estimators: When reviewing a millwork bid, check whether hardware, site storage and handling, field measuring, and countertop installation are included. On a medium-complexity commercial project, these items can add 15–25% to the base fabrication cost. A bid that covers "fabrication and installation of casework" only is likely not a complete price.