Free Change Order Template (Word and PDF) with a Change Order Log

Almost every remodel changes after the contract is signed. The customer wants a different tile, the inspector wants a bigger breaker, you open a wall and find rot. Each change is a chance to get paid for extra work, or to lose money on it. The difference is usually one signed page: the change order.

This free change order template covers both sides of the job: a one-page change order to describe, price and sign each change, and a change order log to track every change on the project. Download it as an editable Word document or a printable PDF with the buttons above.

What is a change order?

A change order is a written amendment to a signed contract. It describes a change to the scope of work, prices it (as an added cost or a credit), states its effect on the schedule, and is signed by both parties. Once signed, it becomes part of the original contract; everything the change order doesn't mention stays as it was.

You need one whenever the work changes after the contract is signed:

• The customer asks for something different: upgraded fixtures, an extra outlet, a moved wall.
• You find a hidden condition: rotted subfloor, knob-and-tube wiring, a cracked drain line behind the wall.
• The inspector or code requires it: an added smoke detector, a different vent termination, a bigger service.
• The design changes: revised plans from the architect or engineer.
• Work is removed: the customer decides to do the painting themselves, which calls for a credit.

What's in the change order template

The change order (page 1) includes:

• Your business details and license number
• Change order number, date, original contract date and job number
• Customer or owner and project details, with the contract number
• Description of change: who requested it (customer, contractor, architect or engineer, inspector), the reason (customer request, hidden condition, code or inspection requirement, design change) and a plain description of what's added, removed or changed
• Added work lines for labor and materials, and a credits section for work removed
• Original contract price, previous changes, this change order and the new contract price
• Schedule: days added and the new completion date
• Payment: with the next progress payment, on completion, or before the changed work starts
• Terms and signature lines for the customer and your company

The change order log (page 2) has a line for each change on the job (number, date, description, amount, days added, date signed and date paid) and totals for the original price, approved changes and the current contract price.

Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details.

How to price a change order

Price changes the same way you priced the original job, line by line:

1. Labor: the hours for the added work at your real labor cost plus burden, including any tear-out or rework the change causes.
2. Materials and equipment: current prices, not the prices from your original estimate.
3. Other costs: extra permits, inspections, disposal, equipment rental, return or restocking fees for materials already ordered.
4. Overhead and profit: your usual markup. A change interrupts the job, so don't price it below your normal margin.
5. Credits: for work removed, credit what you won't spend. Be fair but realistic: if materials are already bought and can't be returned, the credit should reflect that.
6. Time: add schedule days when the change needs them, and say so on the change order. An unrecorded delay becomes your problem at the end of the job.

Then show the running contract price: original price, plus or minus previous change orders, plus this one, equals the new contract price. Customers who see the total at every step don't get a surprise at the final invoice.

Get it signed before the work starts

The single most important rule: no signature, no changed work. Once the work is done, you've lost your leverage, and the customer may remember the conversation differently.

Some states put this in law for home improvement work. California's Contractors State License Board (CSLB), in the change order section of its sample home improvement contract, says extra work and change orders become part of the contract once the order is prepared in writing and signed by the parties before the work it covers starts. The order must describe the scope of the extra work or change, the amount added to or subtracted from the contract, and the effect on the progress payments or the completion date, and CSLB notes that a change order isn't enforceable against the buyer unless those items are in writing before the work starts. If subcontractors do the change order work, the contractor must give the buyer a list of them on request, with names, contact information, license numbers and classifications. Other states have their own rules for home improvement contracts; ask your licensing board or an attorney what yours require, and add any required notices to the Terms section.

Practical habits that make this easy:

• Carry blank change orders in the truck, or use software that lets customers sign on a phone.
• Write it up on the spot when the customer asks for a change, even if you price it later. A signed "pricing to follow, no work until approved" note is better than nothing.
• Send photos of hidden conditions with the change order, so the customer sees why the work is needed.
• Use the same process with your subs. If a change affects a subcontractor's work, issue them a change order too. Our subcontractor agreement template requires one before any changed work.

Sample construction change order

Here's a filled-in example for a bathroom remodel. All names and figures are made up for illustration.

Change order 002, bathroom remodel. Requested by: contractor. Reason: hidden condition.

Description of change: After removing the old vanity, about 12 sq ft of subfloor was found rotted from a past leak. Remove and replace the damaged subfloor with 3/4" plywood before installing the new tile. The customer also asked to delete the towel bar installation (customer will install).

Schedule: 1 day added. Payment: with the next progress payment.

Keep a change order log

On a job with more than one or two changes, the log is what keeps everyone honest. Record each change order as soon as it's written, then fill in the date it was signed and the date it was paid. At any point you can see the current contract price, which changes are still waiting for a signature, and which signed changes haven't been billed yet. Bring the log to every progress billing, and check it before the final invoice: unbilled change orders are one of the easiest ways to lose money on a job.

Change orders, invoices and software

When you bill, list each approved change order on the invoice under its number, separately from the original contract work; our contractor invoice template has room for it, and the contractor receipt template has a notes line for the change orders a payment covers. If you're still building the original price, start with our contractor estimate template.

Paper change orders work, but they're easy to lose. Construction CRM and project management tools handle change orders alongside estimates, schedules and job costing; our guide to the best CRM for contractors compares them, and estimating software for contractors covers tools focused on pricing the work.