Why sign before you build
Disputes over extras usually come down to one question: did the client agree to the price before the work was done? A signed change order answers it. It also resets the contract sum and the finish date, so later invoices and pay applications start from the right numbers.
Pricing a change
- Break the cost into items: labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor quotes, and your overhead and profit if your contract allows it.
- Credits are negative amounts. A change that swaps one fixture for a cheaper one can have a positive and a negative line.
- Add the days honestly. A change with no time impact still says "0 days", which stops a delay claim from being argued later.
From signed change order to payment
The Add this change order to an invoice button passes the number, title and net amount to the invoice generator in this browser. On a staged contract, add it to the change orders on your pay application instead, and to the schedule of values as its own line.
Change order questions
What should a construction change order include?
What is changing, why, the cost (each item, and the net change), the effect on the schedule in days, the contract sum before and after, and signatures and dates from both the contractor and the owner or client.
Can a change order reduce the price?
Yes. Enter a credit as a negative amount, for example -350 for a deleted item. The contract sum after the change goes down by that amount.
How do I get paid for a change order?
Once it's signed, press 'Add this change order to an invoice'. The invoice builder opens with the change order as its own line, numbered and titled, so the client can match it to the signed copy.