How to Use Change Orders So Extras Don't Become Free Work

"While you're here, can you just..." Every contractor has heard it. One extra outlet or one more shelf seems too small to bother with. Do that ten times a month and you've given away a few days of work.

What a change order is

A change order is a short written record that the scope of a job changed, what the change costs, and how it affects the schedule. Both sides agree to it before the extra work starts.

When to write one

• The customer asks for something that wasn't in the original quote
• You find a hidden condition that changes the work (rot behind a wall, old wiring that has to be dealt with)
• The customer changes materials, fixtures, or layout

What to put in it

1. Job name, date, and a change order number
2. What's being added, removed, or changed, in plain words
3. The price change (labor + materials)
4. Any change to the finish date
5. When it gets paid (with the next invoice, or up front)
6. Customer approval: a signature, or a written reply like a text or email saying "Approved"

Whether a text approval holds up the same as a signature depends on your state and your contract. Many contractors put a line in the original agreement saying written changes, including email or text, are accepted. Check your local rules.

How to bring it up without awkwardness

Set it up at the start: "If anything changes along the way, I'll send you a quick change order with the price before I do it, so there are no surprises on the bill." Then when the request comes, it's normal:

"Sure, I can do that. It's not in the original quote, so I'll text you a change order with the price. Once you reply OK, I'll get it done."

Most customers don't mind paying for extras. What upsets them is a surprise at the end.

Small extras

You can still choose to throw something in as goodwill. Just write it on the change order as "$0, no charge" so the customer sees what you gave them and it doesn't become the expected baseline.

Ready-made forms

The No Free Work Change Order & Payment Pack ($19) includes a fill-in change order, a change log, and the scripts to go with them. The Back-Office Bundle ($49) includes that plus the pricing kit and job tracking.