Construction change order template

What to put in a change order

• Project and reference: job name, site, original contract reference, change number, date, contractor, and customer.
• Requested change: what is being added, removed, or revised; who requested it; and why. State exclusions so a short description does not become an open-ended promise.
• Price basis: agreed lump sum or time-and-material basis. Break out quantities, hours, rates, materials, equipment, and any separately agreed markup or tax.
• Schedule impact: additional days, dependencies, or “to be confirmed.” Do not imply there is no impact if it has not been checked.
• Approval: name, role, date, signature, and what the signer is acknowledging. Use the authorization required by your contract.
• Evidence and revisions: photos, drawings, written requests, and links to the previous signed version.

Worked example: kitchen circuit reroute

A simple approval workflow

1. Describe the requested change and attach the relevant evidence.
2. Review the scope, amount, exclusions, and schedule impact with the authorized person.
3. Capture approval using the process required for that project. Do not mark a draft as approved because it was merely sent.
4. Keep the signed original. If the scope changes again, create a clearly numbered revision and request fresh approval.
5. Send the record to the customer and your office; connect it to the later invoice without claiming it is itself proof of payment.

Change order or T&M ticket?

A change-order record describes a proposed or approved scope/price change. A T&M ticket records labor, materials, and equipment used in the field. A project may require both. Keep the acknowledgment of field quantities separate from final authorization to change the contract price.