Customer asked for one more thing mid-job? A change order is written up from your notes, ready for your price. You sign off and send it.
How to do it well
A few lines on paper now saves an argument at the final bill.
SkipA handshake and "we'll sort it out at the end"
What is a lien waiver →When the customer says "while you're here," stop before the extra work starts.
SkipDoing the work first and billing it later
Write it from the notes and photos you already took on the job.
SkipWaiting until the final invoice
Contractor estimate template →Keep a change order log, even on a three day job.
SkipArguing over what was agreed when the bill comes
End of day report →The change order itself, a text from the job and the email that sends it. You fill in the price, read each one and send it.
Want me to send this to the customer?
Change order 2 · Larkspur Remodeling Job: primary bath remodel, 88 Willow Ln Customer: Erin Walsh Original work: new tile floor, vanity and shower surround. Change: add a built-in linen closet next to the vanity. Why: Erin asked on site, May 12. Price change: Owen fills this in New finish date: May 30, one day later. Customer signature and date: ________ Contractor signature and date: ________
Want me to send this to the customer?
Hi Erin, it's Owen at Larkspur Remodeling. Great idea on the linen closet. I'll write it up as a change order with the price and the new finish date, and send it tonight so you can look it over before we start.
Want me to send this to the customer?
Subject: Change order 2 for the bathroom Hi Erin, Attached is change order 2 for the linen closet: what's added, the price and the new finish date of May 30. Please sign it if it looks right, and we'll start on the closet once it's back. Any questions, call me at (713) 555-0176. Owen Larkspur Remodeling
Works the same in any trade
Change order templates for builders, roofers, electricians and plumbers. Four quick examples.
On a remodel, a change order usually starts with the homeowner standing in the room saying "while you're here." A pantry shelf, an extra outlet, a different tile. Write it up before the work starts, with what changes, the price and the new finish date. Get the signature before you order anything, not after.
AI for construction companies →Roofers find the change once the old shingles come off: soft decking, rotted fascia, flashing that was never right. Take photos before you cover anything, then write the change order on the spot. Say what you found and how many sheets need replacing, and get the OK before the crew lays new decking.
Roofing AI for your company →Electricians open walls and find surprises: old wiring, a loose neutral, a panel with no room for the new circuits. Explain it in plain words, attach a photo, and give the code reason if there is one. Write the change order before you pull more wire, and keep it separate from the original job's price.
AI for electricians →Plumbing change orders come from what's behind the wall: a corroded shutoff, galvanized pipe that crumbles, a drain line with the wrong slope. Stop and show the customer before you go further. On a small job the change order can be three lines, but it still needs the change, the price, any extra time and a signature.
AI plumbing help for your shop →Doing it by hand, with construction project software, or with us.
| By hand | Construction project software | Commonhouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sounds like you | Yes | No | Yes |
| Written for this job | Yes | No | Yes |
| Ready before the extra work starts | No | Yes | Yes |
| You set every price | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No new app to learn | Yes | No | Yes |
| Off your plate | No | You fill it in | You read and send |
How setup works
About 30 days from the kickoff call to a live workflow, week by week.
Our 30-day promise
Your first workflow is live within 30 days of kickoff, or we keep working free until it is.
A change order is a written agreement to change the original job: what's being added, removed or swapped, how it changes the price and the schedule, and the customer's sign-off. It protects both sides from "I thought that was included" arguments later.
Stop and write it before doing the extra work. Describe the change, list the added or removed cost, note any time change, and get the customer's signature or written OK. Send a copy to the customer and keep one with the job file.
Plain and specific: "Customer requests moving the vanity drain 18 inches left. Adds one day and the listed cost. All other terms of the original agreement stay the same." Name the original job, the change, the cost and time impact, and leave lines for both signatures.
Usually whoever asked for the change, often the customer. Hidden conditions, like rot behind a wall, are handled the way your original contract says. Write that into your contract up front, and talk to a lawyer about disputes rather than relying on a template.
A signed change order is generally treated as part of your agreement, but the rules depend on your state and your original contract. Get it in writing and signed before the work. For anything disputed or large, ask a lawyer to review your forms.
Get it signed first.
