Guide
Free method statement templates (Word)
Two free Word templates: one for a method statement for work on site, and one for the method statement question in a public sector tender. Each has the headings a reader expects, short prompts in grey to delete as you go, and tables ready to fill in. No sign-up.
Last checked: 12 October 2026
Find tenders for your company
Paste your website and we score this week’s UK public sector tenders against it, each with a reason. Free, no sign-up.
Download the templates
Site work method statement
For a specific job on site: a safe system of work, step by step, for a client or principal contractor.
- Job details and scope
- Sequence of work: each step with its hazards, controls and who does it
- People, competence, plant and substances
- PPE, permits, welfare, emergencies and environment
- Supervision, review and a signed briefing record
Tender method statement
For the quality questions in a public sector tender that ask how you will deliver the work.
- The question, limit, weighting and scoring criteria, captured first
- Understanding, delivery, people and resources
- Mobilisation timeline and the real risks
- Quality, performance reporting and evidence
- A final checklist before you submit
Which one do you need?
- Doing a job on site, for a client or under a principal contractor: the site work template. It turns your risk assessment into a step-by-step safe system of work that the people doing the job are briefed on and sign.
- Answering a tender question about how you will deliver a contract: the tender template, then read how to write a method statement that scores.
What a site method statement is for
HSE describes a method statement as setting out “in a logical sequence exactly how a job is to be carried out in a safe manner and without risks to health”. For most construction work it is not a legal requirement, but a risk assessment is, and written arrangements are required before demolition, dismantling or structural alteration. In practice, clients and principal contractors often ask to see one before work starts.
Three things make one useful rather than a box ticked:
- It is about this job on this site, not a generic document with the address changed.
- Each step names its hazards and the controls for them, drawn from the risk assessment.
- The people doing the work are briefed on it and sign to say so, and it is updated when the job changes.
Using the tender template
A tender method statement is scored against criteria the buyer publishes, so the template starts by capturing the question, the limit, the weighting and what a top score needs. Answer in the buyer's own words, in the order they asked, with named people, numbers and dates. For the timeline section, see writing the mobilisation plan; if staff will transfer to you, see TUPE.
Find the tenders worth writing for
Tender Radar reads every new UK public sector notice, scores it against what you do and emails you the ones worth reading every weekday morning, with a reason for each. 30 days free, no card needed.
Common questions
Method statement templates
Is a method statement a legal requirement?
For most construction work, no. HSE says method statements are not required by law for most construction activities, but a risk assessment is, and written arrangements are required before demolition, dismantling or structural alteration. Many clients and principal contractors ask for a method statement before work starts, and tenders often ask for one to judge how you will deliver.
What is the difference between a method statement and a risk assessment?
A risk assessment identifies the hazards in a job and decides how to control them. A method statement sets out, step by step, how the job will be done safely, putting those controls into the order of work. The site template has a column for the hazards and controls at each step, taken from your risk assessment.
What is a method statement in a tender?
In a public sector tender, a method statement is your answer to a quality question about how you will deliver the contract: your approach, people, timeline, risks and how you will check quality. It is scored against criteria the buyer publishes, so the tender template starts by capturing those.
Is the template free, and do I need to sign up?
Yes, it is free, and no. Both are Word files you can download, edit and reuse.