THE RIGHT DOCUMENT FOR THE JOB
When to use a change order
Use it when approved scope, price, timing, deliverables, or responsibilities materially change. Follow the governing SOW or contract process and seek review for construction, regulated, or high-risk work.
BEFORE YOU START
What to have ready
- Reference to the original agreement, SOW, work order, or affected deliverable
- Requested change, reason, new exclusions, assumptions, and dependencies
- Price, fees, expenses, credits, taxes, and payment trigger
- Schedule impact, milestone changes, resource needs, and acceptance criteria
- Requestor, approvers, effective date, version updates, and communication plan
Describe the delta
Show the original commitment and the proposed replacement in concrete terms. Explain the reason without assigning blame, then identify any scope removed, deferred, or made conditional. Link the change to affected drawings, requirements, or work packages.
Price and schedule impact
Separate added cost, savings, credits, recurring effects, taxes, and expenses. Show the schedule movement and dependency behind it. If the impact is not yet known, define discovery work and the decision gate rather than using an unsupported estimate.
Authorize and update
Name the people authorized under the governing process and state when the change becomes effective. Update the SOW, schedule, budget, acceptance record, and communication list. Do not start disputed extra work because a message sounded encouraging.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing the request without comparing it to the original approved scope
- Agreeing to work before price, schedule, authority, or acceptance is documented
- Updating one project artifact while leaving the budget, SOW, or schedule stale
A FEW THINGS WORTH KNOWING
Change Order questions, answered
Does every small request need a change order?
Use the governing threshold and process, but record even small changes when they affect acceptance, timing, cost, risk, or accountability. A short approved note can be enough if policy allows.
What if the impact is unknown?
Authorize a bounded impact-assessment task with its own cost, output, and deadline. Do not present an unresolved impact as zero or let it silently expand the project.
Who can approve a change?
Use the authority specified in the agreement and each organization's purchasing or governance process. Confirm both the requestor and approver understand budget, schedule, and acceptance effects.
A draft is the beginning—not the final review.
Check names, figures, dates, and every obligation before you use or sign your document. For legal, employment, property, or financial matters, consult a qualified local professional when needed. This is an AI drafting tool, not an official government form or a guarantee of legal validity.