How to Write a Change Order Your Client Will Sign

Every remodeler has a story about the change that started as “While you’re here, could you…” and ended in an argument over the final invoice. Often, those arguments aren’t really about the money. They’re about surprise. A clear, prompt, written change order takes the surprise out.

This post covers what to put in your contract before the job starts, what every change order should include, and how to write one so the client says yes. It’s general information, not legal advice. Contract rules vary by state, so check your state’s rules in the license guides and have a local attorney review your contract.

What a change order is

A change order is a written, signed change to the agreed scope, price or schedule after the contract is signed. It can add work, remove work, swap materials or deal with a condition nobody could see at bid time. Once both sides sign it, it becomes part of the contract.

Set it up in the contract first

The easiest change orders are the ones your contract already explains. Before the job starts, your contract should say:

• That any change to scope, price or schedule needs a written change order, signed by both sides, before the changed work starts.
• Who can approve changes. If two owners signed the contract, say whether one of them can approve a change alone.
• How changes are priced: your markup on changed work, any hourly rate for time-and-materials work, and whether there’s an admin fee.
• How hidden conditions are handled, such as rot, mold, old wiring or anything inside walls that couldn’t be seen at bid time.
• That change orders can move the completion date.
• When change orders are paid: on signing, with the next progress payment or at the end.

Some states write change order rules into law. In Pennsylvania, for example, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act says a time-and-materials contract must include an initial cost estimate and state that costs can’t exceed it by more than 10% without a signed, written change order (Act 132 of 2008, as checked on October 16, 2026). Rules like this are why it pays to read your own state’s requirements before you write your contract.

What every change order should include

1. Project name, address and change order number. Number them in order so nothing gets lost.
2. The date and where the change came from. A client request, a hidden condition, an inspector’s requirement or a design change.
3. A plain description of the change. What’s added, removed or swapped, with sizes, quantities, brands and models where they matter.
4. The reason. One or two sentences, with photos for hidden conditions.
5. The price change. The amount added or credited. Showing labor, materials and subs separately builds trust; at minimum, show the total.
6. The new contract total. The original price, plus or minus every approved change order so far, plus this one. Clients should never have to do that math themselves.
7. Schedule impact. Days added, or “no change to the schedule.”
8. Payment terms. When this change order is due.
9. Allowance reconciliation, if that’s what it is. If the client picked tile above the allowance, show the allowance, the actual cost and the difference.
10. Signatures and dates from you and the client, with a line saying the work starts after signing.

How to write one your client will sign

Write it the same day

The longer a request sits, the more it turns into an assumption on both sides. Write it up while the conversation is fresh, ideally before you leave the site.

Use plain words

“Add two recessed LED lights over the sink on a new dimmer switch” beats “Add elec per walk.” If the client can’t picture the change, they’ll hesitate to sign it.

Show your work on hidden conditions

Photos of a rotted subfloor do more than any explanation. Show what you found, what happens if it isn’t fixed, and the options.

Give options when you can

“Repair the damaged section” and “replace the full subfloor,” each with a price, lets the client choose instead of feeling cornered.

One change, one change order

Bundle five changes together and it’s easy for the client to object to all of them over one line. Separate change orders get approved separately.

Price it the way you priced the job

Use the same markup and labor rate as the original estimate, and include the time it takes to plan, order and supervise the extra work. Credits for removed work should be just as clear.

Set expectations at the start

Walk clients through how changes work when they sign the contract. When the first change order arrives, it’s a process they already agreed to, not a surprise.

Handling the awkward ones

• Requests made to the crew. Give your crew one answer: “Good idea. I’ll have the office write it up.” Crew members shouldn’t agree to extra work on the spot.
• A client won’t sign. Don’t do the changed work. Write down what was discussed, and keep going on the original scope if you can.
• Urgent hidden conditions. If something has to be handled right away, such as an active leak, protect the home, take photos, tell the client in writing right away and get the change order signed as soon as possible.
• No-charge changes. Still write a $0 change order. It records what changed and that the client agreed.

After it’s signed

Update the schedule, order materials, tell the crew and subs exactly what changed, and bill on the terms you agreed. Keep every signed change order with the contract. At closeout, the final invoice should match the original price plus every approved change order, line by line.

Get the template

Start with the free change order template, and use the contract template and scope of work template for the clauses that make change orders easier. The glossary defines change orders, allowances and other contract terms. In ECHOPS, change orders go out for e-signature like a quote, approved change orders show up on the crew’s sheet so everyone works from the same scope, and each signed change order bills itself on an invoice of its own.

FAQ

What is a change order in construction?

A change order is a written, signed change to the agreed scope, price or schedule after the contract is signed. It can add work, remove work, swap materials or deal with a hidden condition nobody could see at bid time. Once you and the client both sign it, it becomes part of the contract. The free change order template has the fields to fill in.

What does a good change order process look like?

It starts in the contract: say that any change to scope, price or schedule needs a signed, written change order before the work starts, who can approve one, how changes are priced and how hidden conditions are handled. Then write each change up the same day, price it the way you priced the job, get both signatures, and update the schedule, the crew, the subs and the next invoice.

Can I start extra work before the client signs the change order?

As a rule, no. If a client won’t sign, don’t do the changed work. For urgent hidden conditions, like an active leak, protect the home, take photos, tell the client in writing right away and get the change order signed as soon as possible. Some states write change order rules into law, and this isn’t legal advice, so check your state in the license guides.

Do I need a change order if the change is free?

Yes. Write a $0 change order anyway. It records what changed and that the client agreed, which matters at closeout, when the final invoice should match the original price plus every approved change order, line by line. In ECHOPS, change orders go out for e-signature like a quote, and approved ones show up on the crew’s sheet and each bills itself on an invoice of its own.