What to check before you approve a change order

Before you approve a change order, check four things: exactly what work is added or removed, the itemized cost, how many days it adds to the schedule, and the new completion date. If any of the four is missing or vague, ask your contractor to fill it in before you sign.

What a change order is

A change order is a written change to the work in your contract: something added, removed or swapped after the job has started. It records the new scope, what it costs and how it moves the schedule. You and your contractor both agree to it before the work happens.

The four things to check

1. The scope. It should say exactly what changes, in plain words. "Upgrade the shower valve to a thermostatic valve" is clear. "Bathroom changes" is not.
2. The cost. Look for line items: materials, labor and any other charges, each with its own amount. A single total is hard to judge.
3. The days. A change can push the finish date even when it looks small. The change order should say how many working days it adds, even when the answer is zero.
4. The new completion date. With the days added, when does the project now finish?

Questions worth asking

• Is this change needed, or is it an upgrade I can skip?
• What happens to the schedule if I say no?
• Does this replace an allowance in my contract, and by how much does it go over?
• Is anything else waiting on this decision?

If the change comes from a finish you picked, it helps to make every selection early. This homeowner guide to construction selections explains what you will be asked to choose and when.

Keep every approval in writing

A quick "sounds good" in a text message is easy to lose and hard to read months later. Ask for every change order in writing and keep a copy.

Many contractors now send change orders through a client portal, where you see the cost and the days on one screen and approve from your phone. SpecNook is one of these tools, and its change order page shows what a contractor sends you.

When something does not add up

If the cost or the days look wrong, ask for the details behind them before you approve. A good contractor will walk you through each line. It is fine to take a day to think, and to ask for the change order again with the missing parts filled in.