Change order template so extras get signed
Your customer wants more halfway through the job. Record what changes, what it costs, how it moves the schedule and who approved it, before you do the work.
- Filled renovation example with the revised total shown
- Wording to copy and steps to get it signed on site
- Price the change free in the online quote maker
What a change order is
A change order template records any change to an accepted quote before the work is done: what changes, what it costs, how it moves the schedule and who approved it. Below you will find what a change order form needs, a filled renovation example with the revised total, wording to copy and the steps to get it signed on site.
A change order is a written agreement to alter the scope, price or timing of work after a quote or contract has been accepted. It describes the change, prices it, states the effect on the finish date and is signed by both sides before the extra work starts. Outside North America it is often called a variation.
Without one, extra work turns into an argument at the end of the job, when the customer remembers a quick favor and you remember two extra days of labor. The guide to variations and change orders goes deeper on pricing and disputes.
What to include on a change order form
Every change order needs enough detail that someone who missed the site conversation could follow it a year later. That means a link back to the original quote, a precise description, the price with its breakdown, the effect on time and two signatures. Leave any of these out and the document is much weaker.
| Field | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Change order number | A running sequence per job | CO-01 |
| Original quote reference | Ties the change to the agreed scope | Q-2251, accepted September 14, 2026 |
| Requested by and date | Shows who asked for it | Layla Ibrahim, October 26, 2026 |
| Description | Exactly what is added, removed or swapped | Extend flooring into the hallway |
| Price breakdown | Materials and labor shown separately | 8 m² supplied and laid |
| Credits | Removed work reduces the price | East wall patch and paint omitted |
| Time impact | The new completion date | One working day later |
| Revised total | A running figure the customer can follow | $11,251 before tax |
| Signatures | Approval before the work starts | Owner and contractor, dated |
Filled change order example: home renovation
This example builds on the renovation sample in the quote maker: a kitchen and living wall opened up with a steel beam, then patch, paint and new flooring through 40 m², accepted at $10,830 before tax. Midway through, the owner asks for the flooring to run into the hallway and drops the paint on one wall she will tile later.
| Change | Qty | Unit | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Add: engineered flooring, hallway | 8 | m² | $55 | $440.00 |
| Add: lay flooring, hallway | 8 | m² | $32 | $256.00 |
| Add: threshold transition strip | 1 | each | $45 | $45.00 |
| Credit: patch and paint, east wall omitted | 1 | job | ($320) | ($320.00) |
| Net change | $421.00 | |||
| Original quote total | $10,830.00 | |||
| Earlier change orders | $0.00 | |||
| Revised total before tax | $11,251.00 |
The additions reuse the accepted flooring rates of $55 and $32 per m², so the owner can check them against a document she already signed. The $320 credit is a fair figure for the labor and paint saved on one wall, not a share of the whole $1,800 line worked out by area, because setup, masking and cleanup cost the same either way. The hallway adds one working day, so completion moves from Friday, November 20 to Monday, November 23, 2026.
Variation order template wording to copy
The words on a change order carry as much weight as the numbers. These short passages cover the description, the price and time statement, the approval line and a version for a customer who has not decided yet. They work on paper, in the Word file, or typed into the scope and terms fields of a new quote.
How to issue a change order on site
The safest habit is simple: no extra work without a signed change, however small. A two minute form on your phone or a printed copy in the truck costs far less than a disputed invoice. Follow the same order every time, so nothing gets skipped while the customer is standing next to you.
- Write down the requestWho asked, what they want and the date, in their own words.
- Price it at the agreed ratesStart a new quote in the free quote maker, put the original quote number in the Reference field, and add the extra lines. Check the margin on any new materials with the markup calculator.
- State the time impactEven “no change to the finish date” is worth writing down.
- Show or send itHand over a printed copy, or email the PDF and let the customer accept on their phone.
- Get the signature firstWritten acceptance comes before you order materials or start the work.
- Carry it to the invoiceEach change order becomes its own line on the final invoice, as the quote to invoice page shows.
Pricing changes fairly
Price a change with the rates from the original quote wherever they apply, so the customer can check the arithmetic against something they already accepted. Where the change needs something new, price it fresh and say so. Remember the costs that are easy to miss: reordering, extra trips, rework and time lost to resequencing.
- Additions at quoted rates. Same units and rates as the accepted lines.
- Credits for removed work. Credit what you actually save. Materials already bought or cut to size may not go back.
- Restocking and reorder costs. Supplier return charges and extra deliveries belong on the change.
- Knock on effects. If the change pushes another trade back, price the delay or say it is included.
- Small changes together. Batch minor requests into one change order a week rather than letting them pile up unpriced.
The template files are headed Change Order, with the renovation lines as an example. In Excel, enter a credit as a negative rate: the Amount formula multiplies it by the quantity and the group subtotal drops by that sum. Original quotes for most trades start in the quote template library.
Change order questions
What is a change order in construction?
It is a signed document that changes the agreed scope, price or schedule of a building job after the contract or quote has been accepted. It lists the added or removed work, the cost or credit, the new completion date and the approval of both parties. Builders, remodelers and subcontractors use one for every change, large or small.
Who signs a change order?
The customer or their authorized representative, and you or someone with authority in your business. On larger projects an architect or project manager may sign as well. Make sure the person signing for the customer can approve spending, or the change may be disputed later.
Is a change order the same as a variation?
Yes, in practice. Change order is the usual term in the United States and Canada, while variation or variation order is common in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Both describe a signed change to the agreed work and price, and the same template serves either name.
Can I charge for extra work without a change order?
Collecting is much harder. Without anything in writing it becomes your memory against the customer’s, usually at the moment the final invoice arrives. A signed change order, or at least a written acceptance by email or through an online quote, turns a likely argument into a routine invoice line.
How do I price a change order?
Use the rates from the accepted quote for any matching work, price new items from current costs with your usual markup, and add the reorder, delivery or rework costs the change causes. Show credits for removed work as separate lines, then state the net change and the new total.
Does a change order need a new quote?
A change order is in effect a small quote for the difference, tied to the original. You can build it as a new quote with the original quote number in the reference, as long as it shows the net change, the revised total and a signature or acceptance line.
