Sign a change order before extra work starts
Halfway through a job you pick better tiles, or the builder opens a wall and finds rotten joists. Either way the quote you signed no longer describes the work. A change order is the short document that records what changes, what it costs and how it moves the schedule — and your signature on it, before the extra work begins, is what keeps the final invoice predictable.
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- 1Compare it with what was saidDoes the description match the conversation on site? Anything promised verbally — “we'll patch the ceiling too” — should be in it.
- 2Check the numbers and datesThe price difference, the new total and any extra days. Removed work should show as a credit.
- 3Sign, date and send it backSign the PDF in the signer on this page and reply before the extra work begins. Keep it with the original quote.
Updated 27 October 2026 · Written by Joe Farwick, who runs this site
Why the signature has to come before the work
A quote fixes the price for the work it describes. Consumer bodies make the same point from both sides: New Zealand's Consumer Protection says a provider can't charge more than an accepted quote unless you agree to extra work or the scope changes, and Citizens Advice in the UK says a trader can't charge more than they quoted unless they told you about the extra work and you agreed to pay for it. A signed change order is the clearest record of that agreement.
Some places make it a legal requirement. In California, home improvement contracts over $500 fall under Business and Professions Code § 7159, which says a change order only becomes part of the contract if it is in writing and signed by the parties before the work it covers starts, and that it must state the scope of the change, the cost added or subtracted, and the effect on the schedule of progress payments.
Signing after the fact still documents what happened, but by then the work is done and your only leverage is the argument. If a crew is waiting for your answer, opening the change order on your phone, signing it here and replying takes a few minutes.
What a good change order contains
A reference to the original contract: the quote or contract number and date, and a running number for the change, such as “Change order 3 to quote Q-114”.
The change, described precisely: what is added or removed, where, and with which materials — as specific as the original quote was.
The cost difference: the amount added or credited, with tax, and the new contract total after this change.
The effect on time: extra days, a new completion date, or “no change to schedule”. Delays belong in writing too.
The effect on payments: whether the extra is paid now, added to the next stage payment or settled on the final invoice.
Signatures from both sides: the business's and yours, dated before the changed work starts.
Changes that reduce the price
Change orders aren't only for extras. If you drop the garden wall, supply the tiles yourself or choose a cheaper fitting, ask for a change order with a credit. Without one, the original total stays the agreed price and the saving may never show up on the invoice.
Check how the credit is worked out. Removing materials that were already bought, or work that was already prepared, may earn a smaller credit than the line in the original quote — that is fair, as long as it is written down.
Estimates, allowances and hidden problems
On an estimated job, the business may say no change order is needed because the price was never fixed. Ask for one anyway when the scope changes: an estimate still describes specific work, and a change to that work should be priced and agreed. In Ontario, a business that estimated a job needs the consumer's written agreement before billing more than 10% above the estimate.
Quotes often contain allowances — “$1,500 for light fittings” — and exclusions for things nobody can see yet, such as what is behind the plaster. When an allowance is overspent or a hidden problem turns up, that is exactly the moment for a change order with its own price, rather than a line added to the final invoice.
Keeping change orders in order
Number every change order and keep them in one folder with the signed quote and the related emails. At the end of the job, the final invoice should equal the original total plus and minus the signed change orders. If it doesn't, those documents are what you check it against.
Many small changes add up. A dozen “it's only $200” extras is a $2,400 bill. If the business prefers to group several small items into one change order at the end of the week, that is fine — as long as you see and sign it before the work is done.
Change order questions
- Who writes the change order?
- Usually the contractor, on their own form. If they don't use change orders, you can ask for the change and price by email and reply to confirm it.
- Can I agree to part of a change order?
- Don't cross parts out and sign the rest. Ask for a revised change order that covers only what you want, and sign that version.
- The work was done before I signed. Do I have to pay?
- It depends on your contract and local law. Ask for the change order in writing anyway and compare it with what you agreed on site before paying.
- What does signing change orders here cost?
- A long job can bring several change orders, so it matters. Trying the signer is free; downloading signed PDFs takes a plan at €2.99 a month or €24.99 a year, with no limit on how many change orders you sign in that time. Cancel whenever the job is finished — access runs to the end of the paid period.
Choose the PDF the contractor sent, put your signature and the date on the acceptance line, and download the signed copy to reply with.
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Reviewing a change order
It is usually one page. Read it as carefully as the quote.
- 1
Compare it with what was said
Does the description match the conversation on site? Anything promised verbally — “we'll patch the ceiling too” — should be in it.
- 2
Check the numbers and dates
The price difference, the new total and any extra days. Removed work should show as a credit.
- 3
Sign, date and send it back
Sign the PDF in the signer on this page and reply before the extra work begins. Keep it with the original quote.
Sign the change order
Open it above, sign and date it, and send it back before the work continues.
Choose the change order