How to write a change order the homeowner signs before the work starts
The small extras are where contractors lose money. A one-page change order, signed on your phone before you pick up the tool, ends the final-invoice argument.
A change order amends the original contract: what changes, what it costs, and how it moves the schedule. Contractors tell the same story again and again: the owner says yes to a $200 extra, and by final billing the yes and the work are two different memories. A signed change order turns the yes into a record. Many states, including California for home improvement, require changes to be in writing and signed by both parties.
Fields, in order.
- 01Contractor and owner
Legal names as they appear on the original contract.
- 02Job address and contract date
Ties the change to the contract it amends.
- 03Change order number
Number them in order: 1, 2, 3. It keeps the running price easy to follow.
- 04Description
What is being added, removed or substituted, specific enough that a stranger could price it. Attach a photo if it helps.
- 05Reason
Owner request, hidden condition, or code requirement. It matters if the bill is disputed later.
- 06Prices
Contract price before this change, the amount of this change (plus or minus), and the new contract price. Carry the new price forward on the next change order.
- 07Schedule
How many days the change adds to completion, or zero.
- 08Signatures
Owner and contractor, dated, before the extra work starts.
Common mistakes.
The most common way contractors eat a few thousand dollars a year. If it costs material or more than a few minutes of labor, write it up first.
Without a new contract price on every change order, the final invoice looks like a surprise even when every change was agreed.
"Extra electrical" invites an argument. "Add two recessed lights in the hallway, LED, owner-supplied trim" does not.
Terms you will see.
Ask the document what any of them means. The answer cites the page.
Fill it, check it, sign it.
Fill it by asking
Drop the PDF, paste the facts, and the agent fills every matching field. Unmatched fields are listed so nothing is skipped.
Check it before you send
Empty required fields, a missing signature, a date that disagrees with another page. The document check lists them with page numbers.
Sign it and send it
Draw your signature and place it, free. Or send it to someone else to sign on their phone, with an audit certificate. Free, 25 a month.
Change order,
answered.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Can the homeowner sign on my phone?+
Yes. Fill it in Fill & Sign, hand them the phone and they sign with a finger. Or choose Request signatures and text or email them a link.
Is an electronic signature valid on a change order?+
Generally yes, under the U.S. ESIGN Act and UETA. Check your state's home improvement rules and your contract for any specific requirements.
Do I need one for every small extra?+
A common rule from contractors: if it costs material or more than 15 minutes of labor, write it up.
Fill your Change order in about ninety seconds.
Type into it, sign with your finger and send it back. No card needed.