Templates / Change Order Form
Free Change Order Form Template (PDF, Word, Excel)
Written approval of a change to scope, price or schedule — signed before the extra work starts. Print it, fill it in on a computer, or use the filled-in example to see what a complete one looks like.
No sign-up. See a filled-in example (PDF).
What a change order form should include
- Project name, address and a sequential change order number (CO-001, CO-002…)
- Who asked for the change and when — owner, architect, GC or a site condition
- A description specific enough that a stranger could price it
- Reason for the change (owner request, hidden condition, code, design error)
- Cost broken out: labor hours × rate, materials, equipment, subcontractors
- Markup for overhead and profit, stated as a percentage
- Contract sum before and after, including all previous change orders
- Schedule impact in days and the new completion date
- When it gets paid
- Signatures of both parties, dated — before the extra work starts
Or do it on your phone in two minutes
Change Order Form: T&M Ticket is an iPhone app that fills in this same document and sends the PDF.
- GC signs on your phone, on site
- Hours, materials and markup add up for you
- Signed PDF in the GC’s inbox the same minute
Questions
What is a change order in construction?
A written amendment to the contract that changes the scope of work, the price, the schedule — or all three. Signed by the contractor and the owner (or the GC, for a subcontractor), it is what makes extra work billable.
When should a change order be signed?
Before the extra work starts. Work done on a verbal 'go ahead' is the most common reason contractors don't get paid for extras.
What markup is normal on a change order?
Many contracts fix it — commonly 10–20% overhead and profit for the contractor and a smaller markup on subcontractor work. Use the percentage your contract allows; if it says nothing, state yours on the form.
Change order vs. T&M ticket?
A change order agrees the price before the work. A time and materials (T&M) ticket records the actual hours and materials after the work, when the price couldn't be known in advance — it is signed daily and later rolled into a change order.
Is this change order template free?
Yes — PDF, Word and Excel, no sign-up.
How to write a change order
Step by step, with a fully priced example and the descriptions that get signed: How to write a change order.
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