Change order template
A change order records a change to work you have already agreed on — something added, something taken out, a different material — with the price of the change and both signatures, before the changed work starts. Fill one in here and send it as a PDF or a link. Free, with no account.
What goes on a change order
- Your business name and contact details.
- A change order number of its own (this one starts at CO-101), separate from your estimates and invoices.
- The customer, and a reference to what is being changed — the original estimate or quote number and the job — in “Changes to”.
- The date the change was requested.
- Each added item with its price, and each removed item as a negative price, so the credit is on the paper rather than in somebody’s memory.
- The net change in price, with tax where it applies.
- A sentence saying the change modifies the original agreement only as listed — everything else stays as agreed.
- Two signatures, the customer’s and yours, each dated.
A worked example
A garage addition, priced on estimate E-209. Halfway through framing, the customer asks for a second window and better shingles, and decides against the side door.
| Line | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add: second window, north wall (36×48) | 1 | $640.00 | $640.00 |
| Add: upgrade to 30-yr architectural shingles | 1 | $1,150.00 | $1,150.00 |
| Remove: exterior side door | 1 | −$420.00 | −$420.00 |
| Extra framing labor (hours) | 6 | $55.00 | $330.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,700.00 | ||
| Sales tax 7% | $119.00 | ||
| Change total | $1,819.00 |
The removed door is a minus line, so the change total is the net of the two: what the job now costs on top of the original price. The figures are illustrative — the paper takes whatever you price the change at.
Change order or a new estimate?
A change order
Amends a job that is already agreed, usually already started. It refers back to the original estimate or contract, lists only what changes, and leaves everything else standing.
A new estimate
Prices a separate job from scratch. If the customer wants a second, unrelated piece of work — the fence after the garage — that is its own estimate, not a change to the first one.
The test is whether the work only makes sense as part of the original job. A different window in the same wall is a change; a shed at the back of the yard is a new job. Writing changes up as they happen is what stops the final invoice turning into an argument about what was agreed in passing.
How to send it
Send it while you are still on site, by text, WhatsApp or email, or as a link the customer opens in any browser. Wait for the signed copy before doing the changed work — a change order signed after the fact is a much weaker paper than one signed before.
When the job is done, the final invoice is the original price plus the change orders, and each one is a line the customer has already signed for.
What you get
A PDF you can download, print or attach, and a link the customer can open on any phone. There is no Word or Excel version — PDF only, for now. The six looks and your logo or initials work on this paper exactly as they do on an invoice; see the looks.
Questions about change orders
When should I write a change order?
Whenever the scope or the price of agreed work moves — the customer asks for something extra, takes something out, or picks a different material — and before you do the changed work. A small change still deserves one; the small ones are the ones nobody remembers agreeing to.
Who signs a change order?
Both sides: the customer, agreeing to the change and its price, and you, agreeing to do it. That is why this paper draws two signature lines where an estimate draws one. On a commercial job there may be a general contractor or architect who has to sign too; your contract will say.
How do I show work that has been removed?
As its own line with a negative price, so it comes off the total — “Remove: exterior side door, −$420”. A credit written on the paper is a credit both sides can see. If the net change is a reduction, the change total shows as a negative figure.
Do I have to use a written change order?
It depends on your contract and your state. Many construction contracts say changes only count if they are in writing and signed, and several states’ home-improvement rules expect the same for residential work. Check your contract and your state’s contractor licensing board. Even where nothing requires it, writing it down is the cheapest way to get paid for extras.
More on how JobPaperwork works, including what it stores and what it does not do.