Construction change directive (CCD)

A construction change directive (CCD) is a written order from the owner or architect to proceed with changed work immediately, used when there's no time to agree on price before the work must start.

A CCD exists for the moments a change order process is too slow for the job. The owner or architect directs the work to proceed now, with cost and schedule impact to be determined and agreed afterward — usually converting into a formal change order once the numbers are worked out.

The risk sits with whoever performs the work under a CCD: they're obligated to proceed on a directive that doesn't yet have an agreed price, which means the pricing conversation happens after the cost is already locked in, not before.

Example

An owner needs a structural change made immediately to keep a schedule from slipping further, before the GC and structural engineer have finished pricing it. The architect issues a CCD directing the GC to proceed; the price gets negotiated over the following two weeks and converts into a standard change order.

Related terms

Change orderA change order is a signed, priced amendment to a construction contract that adds, removes, or modifies scope, cost, or schedule after work is already under contract.Back-chargeA back-charge is a deduction one party makes from another's payment to cover the cost of correcting deficient work, cleanup, or damage — without a signed change order authorizing it.Scope of work (SOW)A scope of work (SOW) is the written description of exactly what a subcontractor is responsible for on a project — the boundary line everything else, including disputes, gets measured against.

Used in

Change order template for small GCsSmall GCs who need every change order in writing before work proceeds, without slowing the job down.Change order audit for general contractorsGCs who need to know where verbal approvals are creating dispute risk before it becomes litigation.

Next step

Where this shows up in Datumel:

Change Order MemoFree

Describe the change in plain language. Get a formal CO memo ready to send for approval.

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Change Order Audit$9,999 one-time

A review of your change order documentation and dispute exposure. Finds where approvals slip through verbal exchanges.

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