Change OrderTemplate (2026)
Download a free construction change order template with cost impact, schedule impact, justification, attachments, and an owner approval signature block to protect cash flow and your contract.
What Is a Construction Change Order?
A construction change order is a formal written amendment to the construction contract that adjusts the scope, the contract amount, the completion date, or some combination of the three. It is the mechanism that lets the parties modify what was originally agreed to without rewriting the entire contract. Once signed, the change order becomes a contract document and the project is governed by the original agreement read together with every approved change. On most commercial projects, ten to twenty percent of the final contract value flows through change orders, which is why the discipline around how they are written, priced, and approved has a direct impact on profit.
Change orders typically come from one of a small set of causes. Owner-directed scope changes, design revisions from the architect, differing site conditions, errors or omissions in the original drawings, code changes, and weather or delay events. Each of these triggers a chain of work: re-running the affected portion of the takeoff, repricing the affected line items in the BOQ, updating the schedule, and writing a defensible narrative of what changed and why. Done well, this chain of work takes hours per change. Done poorly, it leaves money on the table and creates the disputes that drag projects into litigation.
The change order template that follows is designed to make the process consistent and the documentation defensible. It mirrors the structure that owners, architects, construction managers, and sureties expect to see, and it separates the cost impact from the schedule impact so that each one can be evaluated on its own. Pair the template with a tight log of the underlying RFIs and directives, and your change-order management becomes the boring, well-documented routine that it should be.
What to Include in a Change Order
Every construction change order should contain these essential elements
Change order number and date
A sequential identifier and the issue date so the change order is easy to reference and track in the project log
Change description
A clear narrative of the changed work, including what is being added, deleted, or modified relative to the original contract scope
Cost breakdown
Itemized labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor, and markup amounts that justify the requested cost adjustment
Schedule impact
The number of additional or reduced calendar days the change will add to or remove from the contract completion date
Justification and reference
The reason for the change, with reference to the RFI, field directive, owner request, or design revision that triggered it
Attachments
Marked-up drawings, updated specifications, vendor quotes, and any documentation that supports the cost and schedule analysis
Signature block
Spaces for the contractor, owner, and architect or construction manager to sign, with date fields for each approval
Approval routing and revised totals
A summary of the original contract amount, prior approved changes, this change, and the new contract amount and completion date
Change Order Template Preview
A realistic change order for a commercial renovation project
| Item | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Project: Riverside Office Renovation · Change Order #007 · Issued 04/22/2026 | ||
| Original Contract Amount | Per executed agreement dated 02/01/2026 | $1,840,000.00 |
| Net of Prior Change Orders | CO #001 through #006, all approved | +$62,400.00 |
| Contract Sum Prior to This CO | After CO #006 | $1,902,400.00 |
| Description of Change: Add structural reinforcement to second-floor mezzanine per RFI #43 and SK-09 | ||
| Labor | Carpenters and ironworkers, 142 hours at composite $86.50 | +$12,283.00 |
| Materials | W8x10 steel beams, plates, fasteners (vendor quote attached) | +$8,640.00 |
| Equipment | Boom lift rental, 4 days | +$1,420.00 |
| Subcontractor (welding inspection) | AWS-certified third-party inspection per spec | +$1,850.00 |
| Overhead and profit (15%) | Per contract Article 7.3 | +$3,628.95 |
| This Change Order Amount | Add to contract | +$27,821.95 |
| Schedule Impact | Add 5 calendar days to substantial completion (revised SC: 09/24/2026) | |
| Justification | Differing site condition discovered during demolition; existing mezzanine framing inadequate per structural review SK-09 dated 04/15/2026 | |
| Attachments | Exhibit A: SK-09 markup · Exhibit B: vendor quote · Exhibit C: RFI #43 response · Exhibit D: labor backup | |
| Revised Contract Sum | Including this change order | $1,930,221.95 |
| Approvals: Contractor ____________ Date _______ · Owner ____________ Date _______ · Architect ____________ Date _______ | ||
All attachments referenced · Schedule impact stated · Signatures required before work begins
How to Issue a Change Order
Identify and document the change
When a request, design revision, field condition, or owner directive falls outside the original scope, document it the same day. Reference the RFI, drawing revision, or written directive that triggered the change. Without a clear paper trail back to a specific event, the change order is harder to defend and easier to dispute later.
Price the cost impact in detail
Build a line-item cost estimate the same way you priced the original bid. Include labor hours and rates, material quantities and unit costs, equipment, subcontractor quotes, and your contractually allowed overhead and markup. Lump-sum numbers without backup get pushed back. Detailed pricing closes faster.
Calculate the schedule impact
Determine how many calendar days the change adds or removes from the critical path. If the work is concurrent with existing scope and does not affect the critical path, say so. If it pushes the substantial completion date, request a time extension explicitly. Cost impact and schedule impact are two separate questions that both need an answer on every change order.
Write the change order document
Use a consistent template. State the original contract amount, the sum of all prior approved change orders, the amount of this change, and the new contract total. Do the same with the completion date. Include a one-paragraph description of the change and reference all attachments by exhibit number.
Route for approval before starting work
Submit the change order to the owner and architect or construction manager per the contract notice provisions. Wait for written approval before performing the changed work. The most expensive mistake in change order management is starting work on the verbal okay and discovering later that the owner has a different recollection.
Update the project log and billing
Once signed, log the change order in your master change-order log, update the schedule of values, update the contract sum and completion date, and incorporate the change into the next pay application. Issue conformed drawings if the change is significant. Without these updates the project documentation drifts away from reality.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Starting work before approval
A verbal go-ahead is not a change order. Doing the work first and asking for the change order later puts you in the worst possible negotiating position. The owner has already received the value, and you have already spent the money. Always get a written, signed approval before mobilizing on changed scope.
Vague descriptions
Descriptions like "additional electrical" or "miscellaneous demolition" leave room for argument about what was actually authorized. Spell out the work in measurable terms, reference specific drawings or RFIs, and list the deliverables that are added, modified, or removed.
Missing cost or schedule analysis
A change order without an itemized cost breakdown or without a clear schedule impact statement is incomplete. Owners are right to push back. Build the same level of detail you used in your bid and keep the calculations attached so reviewers can follow your math.
No documentation trail
Every change order should trace back to a specific cause. RFI, design revision, owner directive, differing site condition, code change. If there is no documented cause, there is no defensible basis for the change. Maintain a chronological file of the underlying documents and reference them in the change order.
Forgetting to update the contract totals and schedule
A signed change order that never makes it into the schedule of values or the master schedule is invisible. Pay applications start to disagree with the contract. Months later it takes hours to reconcile. Update the totals and the schedule the day the change order is signed.
Generate Change Orders from Revised Drawings
BuildVision AI compares your original blueprints to the revised set and prices the difference automatically
Manual Change Orders
- ✕Re-do the takeoff for every drawing revision
- ✕Hours rebuilding cost breakdowns in spreadsheets
- ✕Easy to miss small but cumulative scope changes
- ✕Documentation falls behind the field
BuildVision AI
- AI compares original and revised drawings automatically
- Cost delta priced against your original BOQ
- Draft change order with breakdown in minutes
- Always-current change-order log per project
Learn more about AI construction estimating and the best estimating software for change-heavy projects.
Change Order Template FAQs
Q:What is a construction change order?
A: A construction change order is a formal written amendment to the construction contract that adjusts the scope of work, the contract amount, the completion date, or some combination of the three. It is the mechanism that lets the parties agree to changes in writing without rewriting the entire contract. Once signed, the change order becomes a contract document and the original contract is read together with all approved change orders. Change orders are how a project legally moves from the original plans to the final as-built condition.
Q:What triggers a change order?
A: Common triggers are owner-directed scope changes, design revisions issued by the architect, differing site conditions discovered after construction starts, errors or omissions in the original drawings, code or regulatory changes during construction, weather or other delay events that justify a time extension, and value-engineering decisions that reduce or substitute scope. Anything that changes what was originally agreed to in the contract typically requires a change order to be enforceable.
Q:What is the difference between a T&M and a lump-sum change order?
A: A lump-sum change order fixes the price of the changed work up front, with the contractor accepting the risk that actual costs may differ. A time-and-materials change order pays the contractor for actual labor hours, materials used, and equipment time, plus an agreed markup, with the owner accepting the cost risk. Lump-sum is preferable when the work is clearly defined. T&M is appropriate when the scope cannot be priced accurately in advance, such as exploratory demolition or unknown subsurface conditions.
Q:Who pays for a change order?
A: It depends on the cause. Owner-directed scope additions are paid by the owner. Design errors and omissions are usually paid by the owner, who may have recourse against the design professional. Differing site conditions are typically paid by the owner under most standard contracts. Contractor-caused rework is paid by the contractor and does not generate a change order in the contractor’s favor. The contract’s allocation-of-risk clauses determine who carries the cost when the cause is unclear.
Q:When should a change order be issued?
A: As soon as the change is identified and before work proceeds. Most contracts require written notice within a defined number of days of the event that triggered the change. Waiting until close to project completion to submit accumulated change orders weakens your position, blurs the documentation trail, and often results in disputed amounts. Issue change orders contemporaneously with the events that caused them.
Q:Can a change order extend the contract completion date?
A: Yes. A change order can adjust the contract amount, the completion date, or both. If the changed work affects the critical path, the contractor should request a time extension on the change order itself. If the change does not affect the critical path, the change order should state that no time extension is requested. Failing to request a time extension at the time of the change order can waive the right to request one later, depending on the contract language.
Q:How does a change order affect the surety bond and insurance?
A: Most performance and payment bonds automatically extend to cover approved change orders up to a stated percentage of the bond amount, often 25 to 50 percent. Beyond that threshold the surety may need to consent. Insurance limits should be reviewed any time the contract amount grows materially. On large projects, the contractor should keep the surety informed of cumulative change order activity and confirm that bond and insurance coverage remain adequate.
Q:Can BuildVision AI help with change orders?
A: Yes. BuildVision AI compares the original drawings and takeoff to revised drawings and identifies the scope differences automatically. The change in materials, areas, and assemblies is priced against the original BOQ and presented as a draft change order with the cost breakdown and a suggested schedule impact. Instead of redoing the takeoff every time the architect issues a revision, contractors get a defensible change-order package in minutes that connects directly to your takeoff and bidding workflow.
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