How to Write a Change Order for a Small Job

Halfway through a job, the customer says, "While you are here, could you also...". Or you open a wall and find something nobody expected. The work changes, and so should the paperwork. A change order is a short written record that says what is different, what it costs and what it does to the schedule, signed before the extra work starts. It protects the customer from surprise bills and protects you from doing free work.

When to write one

Write a change order any time one of these happens:

• The customer asks for something that was not in the quote.
• You remove something from the scope, so the price should go down.
• You find a condition you could not see when you quoted.
• The customer picks different materials or finishes with a different price.
• The change will move the finish date.

If you are asking yourself whether it is worth the paperwork, it usually is. Small changes are exactly where memories differ later.

What goes on it

Keep it to one page. These fields do the work:

1. Your details and the customer's, with the job address.
2. A number and the date. "Change order 2" tells everyone it follows change order 1.
3. A reference to the original quote or agreement, by number or date.
4. What is changing, described so a stranger could do it: what, where, how much.
5. The cost: add, subtract or both, shown as a clear amount.
6. The effect on timing, even if it is "no change to the finish date".
7. The new total: original price, plus earlier changes, plus this one.
8. Approval lines for the customer and for you, with a date.

How to write it, step by step

1. Stop and talk first. Say what you are seeing or what they have asked for, and that you will write it up so you both have it in writing.
2. Work out the extra cost from your real costs, not from memory. Include materials, your time and anything you need to order.
3. Write the description in plain words. Use a measurement or a location wherever you can.
4. Add the cost and the timing effect.
5. Show the running total so the customer can see where the job now stands.
6. Send it or print it the same day. Ask for the signature or a written "approved" reply before you start the extra work.
7. Keep a copy with the original quote.

What if the customer says "just do it"

Verbal approval is better than nothing, but it is easy to forget. If someone says "just do it", reply in writing straight away: "Thanks, just confirming I will add the extra panel for $190, new total $970." A text or email like that gives you a written record of the change, though the best form is still a signed page, and your local rules decide what counts for your kind of job. If the job is large or the change is big, ask for a signature.

Common mistakes

• Starting the extra work first and writing it up afterwards.
• Describing the change in one vague line, such as "extra work as discussed".
• Forgetting the schedule. Even small changes can push your next job.
• Not updating the total, so the customer cannot see the new price.
• Losing the paperwork. Keep the original quote and each change order together.

A short checklist

• Does the change order mention the original quote?
• Is the description specific?
• Is the cost clear, with a new total?
• Is the schedule effect stated?
• Is there a place for the customer to approve?
• Did you get approval before starting?

A change order also gives you something calm to point to if the final bill is questioned. It turns "I did not expect that" into "here is what we agreed". If your contract or your area has its own rules for how changes must be handled, follow those, and check your local rules for anything specific to your trade. The pack below is a ready-made version you can keep and reuse on every job.

General information to help you plan, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ by place and trade, so check your local rules before you rely on any template or wording.