Change orders: how to get extra work approved mid-job and paid

A change order is a short written update to an approved estimate: what's being added, removed, or changed, the price of that change, and the new job total. Write it before doing the changed work, get the customer's written OK (a signature or a reply by text or email), then list it as its own line on the next invoice.

This is general guidance, not legal advice. Every message below is an example: change the wording to sound like you.

This page picks up after the job has started. For the estimate itself, see how to write a contractor estimate; for jobs paid in stages, see progress invoicing.

What a change order is, and when you need one

Your estimate should already say how changes work. The how to write a contractor estimate guide suggests this line: "Changes to the scope will be priced and approved in writing before the work is done." A change order is how you keep that promise once the job is underway.

Added work, removed work, and problems found mid-job

Write one when the customer asks for more, when they decide to leave something out, or when you find a problem that changes the work, such as damage you couldn't see until the job was opened up. Each of these changes the price or the work, so each gets its own change order.

Small 'while you're here' requests

Small add-ons are easy to forget at invoice time. Whenever the price or the work changes, even a little, send a short text with the work, the price, and the new total, and keep the customer's written reply. That short exchange is your change order.

What goes on a change order

• A change number and the date it was agreed.
• The job, the address, and the customer's name.
• The original estimate: its number, date, and total, plus any earlier approved changes.
• What's changing, in plain words: added, removed, or swapped, and where.
• Why: the customer asked, or you found something during the work. Attach photos if you have them.
• The price of this change (a minus amount for removed work) and the new job total.
• Whether it changes the schedule, and when it's paid.
• The approval: the customer's signature or written reply, and the date.

If the change is big enough that the whole job looks different, you can send a revised estimate instead, starting from the free estimate template.

Sample change order (fill-in layout)

One change per page. Fill in the [brackets].

Getting the customer's approval mid-job

In person: go through it together, then sign

Walk the customer through the change, the price, and the new total, then have them sign and date it. If they say yes out loud, follow up with a text so you both have it in writing.

Confirm a yes given in personThanks, [Name]. Confirming what we agreed just now: change order #[number], [added work], $[amount], new job total $[new total]. Reply 'yes' if that's right.

By text or email: ask for a clear written yes

Put the work, the price, and the new total in the message, and ask for a one-word reply. A clear written reply gives you both a record of what was agreed. Some states require a signed contract for home-improvement work, so check yours.

Customer asks for added workHi [Name], you asked about [added work]. That's outside estimate #[number]. It adds $[amount] for [labor / materials] and [no extra days / about [number] days]. New job total: $[new total]. Reply 'approved' and I'll go ahead. Until then I'll stick to the original work.

Problem found during the workHi [Name], when we opened up [area] we found [condition]. Photos attached. Fixing it adds $[amount], so the new job total would be $[new total]. Want me to go ahead? Reply 'approved', or call me and we'll talk it through.

Removing workHi [Name], as we discussed, we're leaving out [removed item]. That takes $[amount] off, so the new job total is $[new total]. Reply 'approved' to confirm and I'll update the paperwork.

Until it's approved, keep to the original work

Carry on with the work the customer already approved, and leave the changed work until you have their OK. If what you found is a safety problem, make the area safe and tell the customer right away. If the original work can't go on without the fix, pause that part and say so in your message. If they say no, finish what you can of the original job as written.

When the customer says 'just add it to the bill'

It sounds like a yes, but it doesn't say how much. Reply with the price and the new total, and ask for a written OK, so the final invoice isn't a surprise.

Reply to 'just add it to the bill'Happy to, [Name]. So the bill doesn't surprise you: [added work] is $[amount], which makes the new total $[new total]. Can you reply 'approved' so we both have it in writing?

How a change order flows into the next invoice

List each approved change as its own line, with its number, the date it was approved, and its price. Then show the new job total, what's been paid, and the balance due. For the rest of the invoice, see how to write an invoice that gets paid on time or start from the free invoice template. If a change needs materials paid for up front, see how to ask for a deposit.

Invoice line wordingChange order #[number] (approved [date]): [description]: $[amount]

Jobs with one final invoice

Add every approved change to the final invoice, in order, between the original estimate and the new job total.

Jobs billed in stages

Add the approved change to the next stage payment, so every invoice still adds up. For setting up the payments themselves, see progress invoicing.

Removed work: showing a credit

When work comes out, the change order shows a minus amount and a lower new job total, and the next invoice shows the same minus line. If the customer has already paid more than the new total, say on the invoice how and when the difference will be returned.

If an approved change is still unpaid after the due date, see how to follow up on an unpaid invoice.

Keep every change with the job

Keep the signed change orders, the text or email replies, and any photos with the job's estimate and invoices, so you can show how the total got from the estimate to the final bill.

Rules vary: check your state

Rules vary by state and job type, so check your state's rules (for example, your state's contractor licensing board) for written contracts and changes on home improvement work. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Need the paperwork for a specific trade? See the estimate templates by trade and invoice templates by trade.

Frequently asked questions

What is a change order?

It's a short written update to an approved estimate that records what's being added, removed, or changed, the price of that change, and the new job total, approved by the customer before the changed work is done.

Do I need a change order for small extra jobs?

Write one whenever the price or the work changes, even for small add-ons. A short text with the work, the price, and the new total, plus the customer's written reply, gives you both a record.

Is a text message reply enough approval?

A clear written reply such as 'approved' gives you both a record of what was agreed. Rules vary by state and by job type, and some states require a signed contract for home-improvement work, so check your state's rules on written contracts and changes.

What if the customer won't approve the change?

Don't do the changed work. Finish the original work as written, offer a smaller version if it helps, and keep the conversation and the unapproved change on record.

How does a change order show up on the invoice?

List each approved change as its own line with its number, date, and price, then show the new job total, what's been paid, and the balance due. On a job billed in stages, add it to the next stage payment.

Can a change order lower the price?

Yes. If work is removed, the change order shows a credit (a minus amount) and a lower new job total, and the next invoice shows it the same way.