01
Origin
Link the RFI, drawing revision, field directive, owner request, or condition that triggered the change.
Actual template
See the template before you use it
This filled example shows the level of detail both editable templates ask for. Replace the example values, attach the backup, and route it through the notice and approval process in your subcontract.
Download editable Word template ↓Open in Google Sheets ↗
Opens Google's copy screen in a new tab. Choose Make a copy to save an editable version to your Drive.
Change order request
North Harbor Office Renovation
COR-017
August 4, 2026
- Subcontractor
- BrightLine Electrical
- General contractor
- Cedar Ridge Builders
- Contract reference
- Electrical subcontract dated May 12, 2026
- Requested by
- Site superintendent — field direction FD-08
Description of change
Relocate two floor-box feeds from Grid C-4 to C-5 after the furniture-plan revision issued August 1. Includes rerouting conduit above Level 2, extending conductors, and re-testing both circuits.
Reason: Owner furniture revision after the original electrical rough-in layout was approved.
Status
Pending written authorization
Scope included
- Remove and reroute approximately 42 LF of 3/4-inch EMT
- Extend circuit conductors and reconnect two floor boxes
- Label, test, and update the electrical as-built markup
Scope excluded
- Concrete cutting or floor-box relocation by others
- Work outside Level 2, Area C
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Electrician labor | $1,440 |
| Material and consumables | $385 |
| Supervision and contract markup | $183 |
| Total proposed change | $2,008 |
Submission and authorization
Submitted by: Maya Chen, Project Manager — BrightLine Electrical
Authorized signature / role
Date
This request documents a proposed change. It becomes authorization only when approved as required by the governing contract.
Both templates include blank fields, a cost table, schedule impact, attachments, and authorization fields.
Or generate a memo from a description →Direct answer
How should contractors document change orders?
Document a change order in one traceable record with five parts: project and request identifiers; the direction and contract reference; included and excluded scope; itemized labor, material, equipment, markup, and schedule impact; then backup and authorization. The filled example and blank Word and Google Sheets templates on this page show how those pieces fit together.
Operational completeness check
02
Scope boundary
State inclusions, exclusions, location, quantities, and affected specification or drawing references.
03
Cost support
Separate labor, materials, equipment, subcontract cost, tax, and contract-allowed markup.
04
Schedule effect
Record added days, affected milestones, sequencing constraints, or no time impact.
05
Approval record
Capture the authorized names, roles, decision, signature dates, and any not-to-exceed limit.
Sources and verification
Industry standard
AIA Contract Documents — change-order fundamentalsThe distinction between an agreed change order and other change instruments, including scope, price, time, and authorization.
Institutional procedure
West Virginia University — construction change-order procedureInstitutional documentation controls for change authorization, labor, material, equipment, daily tickets, and supporting records.
The contract controls notice deadlines, markups, backup, signature authority, and whether work may start before a formal change order. Review those requirements for each project.
Published July 21, 2026 · Sources verified August 4, 2026 · Research methodology
The gap between 'sure, no problem' in the field and a signed change order is where subs lose the most money — not because the work wasn't real, but because nothing was written down before the GC had a chance to forget or dispute it.
“They do the work, tell the GC 'no problem,' and then send me a vague text or a blurry photo of a scribbled note 2 weeks later. By the time I write up the Change Order, the GC denies it because it wasn't documented in time.”
“I feel like we are bleeding cash on 'favors' that never get billed.”
How it works
01
Describe the change in plain language
What the field asked for, in your own words — no form-filling required.
02
Get a formal CO memo ready to send
Priced, scoped, and formatted for approval, not a text message that reads like a favor.
03
Send it the same day
While the GC still remembers agreeing to it — not two weeks later when the story has changed.
Next step
Free, runs in your browser, no signup.
Change Order MemoFree
Describe the change in plain language. Get a formal CO memo ready to send for approval.
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.T&M ticketA T&M ticket (or daily ticket) is the field record of hours worked and materials used on a time-and-materials task, signed by the client or GC's representative on-site the same day.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.
Beyond this page
The tool catches it on one bid. The T&M Leak Audit ($1,499 one-time) finds the pattern across your process.