Our earlier post, "Change orders done right," covers why change orders matter. This one is the checklist: the fields a change order form should carry so it holds up when the job is over and someone asks what was agreed. Use it to build your own form, or to check the one you already have.
1. Identification
- A change order number, numbered in sequence for the job.
- Project name and address, owner and contractor.
- The contract it modifies, by date or number.
- Date issued, and who requested the change.
2. Description and reason
- What is added, removed or changed, in plain language a homeowner can read.
- Where it is: room, elevation, drawing sheet or detail.
- Why: owner request, hidden condition, design change or code requirement.
- References to the RFI, photos or revised drawings that back it up.
3. Line items to price
Price the change on the same basis as the base contract: the same line-item structure, the same unit prices where they apply, and the same overhead-and-profit markup. List each line with its quantity and unit so the number can be checked, not just accepted.
- Added work, line by line, with quantity and unit.
- Credits for deleted work, shown as their own lines.
- Overhead and profit, stated the same way as in the contract.
- Any permit, plan review or re-inspection lines the change creates.
4. Schedule impact
State the change in contract time in days, even when it is zero. "No change to the completion date" is still worth writing down. Added scope that quietly adds a week is one of the most common sources of a dispute at closeout.
5. Revised contract sum
- Original contract sum.
- Net change from previous change orders.
- This change order.
- New contract sum.
Carrying the running total on every change order means anyone can pick up the latest one and know where the contract stands.
6. Permit and code impact
Some changes affect the permit, not just the price. The model IRC requires work to be installed according to the approved construction documents, and changes made during construction that do not comply with them must be resubmitted for approval as an amended set (R106.4, 2015 IRC). Moving a wall, adding a window or changing a structural member can trigger that. Note on the change order whether revised drawings or an inspection are needed. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, so confirm with your local building department when a change touches permitted work.
7. Terms and signatures
- When the change is billed and paid: with the next pay application, on completion or up front.
- A statement that the signed change order modifies the contract.
- Signatures and dates from the owner and the contractor before the work starts.
A change order with a number, a line-item price, a schedule line, a running contract total and two signatures settles itself at closeout. One with any of those missing is the start of an argument.