A long scope of work is a lot easier to read — for you and for your client — when it’s broken into sections. Instead of one endless list of line items, you can gather them into named groups like “Kitchen,” “Demolition,” or “Site Work,” with related items tucked underneath. Eano has built this in from the start, but it’s one of those features that’s easy to miss if no one points it out — so here’s the whole thing in one place.
This article covers what scope groups are, the three ways to create them, how to rename and rearrange them, and how they show up for your client.
Why Group Your Scope
Grouping does more than tidy up the screen:
It tells a story. A client reading “Kitchen,” “Bathroom,” and “Exterior” as headings understands the job far faster than they would scanning fifty loose lines.
It gives you subtotals. Each group carries its own running total, so you and your client can see what each section of the work costs at a glance.
It sets up cleaner quotes. Once your scope is grouped, you can collapse any section down to a single total line when you present it — handy when you want to show the bottom line for “Kitchen” without itemizing every screw. (More on that in Choosing What Your Client Sees on a Quote.)
It makes editing faster. Collapse the sections you’re done with, expand the one you’re working on, and drag whole groups around to reorder the job.
How the Scope Is Structured
Think of your scope as an outline with three layers:
Scope groups — the big sections, like “Kitchen” or “Demolition.”
Sub-groups — smaller buckets nested inside a group, for when a section is big enough to break down further.
Line items — the individual rows that carry your quantities, units, and prices.
You don’t have to use all three layers. A simple job might be one flat list; a big remodel might have several groups, each with a few sub-groups. Build only as much structure as the job needs.
Three Ways to Create a Group
1. Start a brand-new group
At the very bottom of your scope list, you’ll see a + New scope name.. prompt. Type a name there — “Kitchen,” “Roofing,” whatever fits — and press Enter. A fresh, empty top-level group appears, ready for you to add items to.
2. Add a sub-group inside a group
Inside any group, look for the Add sub group level item, press Enter to save… prompt. Type a name and press Enter to drop a sub-group in. This is the move when a section gets big — say, splitting “Kitchen” into “Cabinets,” “Countertops,” and “Appliances.”
3. Convert existing items into a group
Already have a handful of loose line items that belong together? You don’t have to retype them. Check the box next to each item you want to gather up. A toolbar appears at the top of the scope, and one of the options is Convert to Group (or Convert 3 items into Group when you’ve checked several).
Click it, and Eano wraps those items in a new group called “New untitled group” — which you’ll want to rename right away (see below). The one rule here: the items you’re grouping have to live in the same section of the scope. If you’ve selected items from different parts of the list, move them next to each other first, then convert.
Renaming a Group
A group called “New untitled group” doesn’t help anyone, so give it a real name. Click the group’s name, type the new one, and press Enter to save it. (Pressing Enter — or clicking away — is what locks in the name, so don’t go looking for a separate save button.) You can rename a group any time, as often as you like.
Rearranging and Tidying Up
Once you’ve got groups, you can shape the scope however reads best:
Reorder by dragging. Grab a group or a line item and drag it to a new spot. Whole groups move as a block, so you can put “Demolition” before “Framing” without touching the items inside.
Collapse and expand. Use Collapse to fold every group down to its heading so you can see the shape of the whole job, then Expand to open them back up. You can also collapse a single group on its own while you focus on another.
Delete what you don’t need. Check the items (or a whole group’s worth) and use Delete in the toolbar to remove them.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
Groups carry subtotals automatically. You don’t set them up — each group totals its own items as you go.
Grouping is about organization, not client choices. If you want to offer your client a “pick one” decision — three faucets, a good-better-best option — that’s a selection group, a different tool. See Offering Clients Choices with Selection Groups.
The same structure flows everywhere. However you group your scope carries through to the quote, the PDF, and the client portal — and into your scope templates if you save the scope to reuse later.
Editing the scope is an admin/owner job. Team members with view-only access to the scope can see the groups but can’t rearrange them.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t see a “Convert to Group” button. Where is it? It only appears after you’ve checked the box next to at least one line item — the grouping toolbar is hidden until you make a selection. Tick an item or two and it’ll show up at the top of the scope.
Can I group items that are in different sections of my scope? Not in one step — the items you convert into a group have to be in the same section and sitting together. Drag them next to each other first, then check them and convert.
My group is still called “New untitled group.” How do I change it? Click directly on the group name, type the one you want, and press Enter (or click somewhere else) to save it. There’s no separate save button — the name commits when you leave the field.
Do I have to use sub-groups? No. Sub-groups are there for when a section is big enough to break down further. Plenty of scopes are just a few top-level groups with items underneath — use as much or as little structure as the job needs.
Will my client see all these groups? Yes — your grouping shapes what the client sees in their portal and on the quote. If you’d rather show a section as a single total instead of every line, you can collapse it for the client view. See Choosing What Your Client Sees on a Quote.
Can I reuse a grouped scope on the next project? Yes. Save it as a scope template and the whole group structure comes with it. See Building and Reusing Scope Templates.
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