Construction change orders: how to record client decisions

During a renovation, clients change their minds. That is normal: they see the room without walls, picture the kitchen differently, find tiles they like better. The trouble starts later, when someone needs to remember what exactly was decided and when. "We agreed on a different socket", "I never asked you to move the door", "the extra cost was agreed in advance" — these conversations almost always come down to one thing: the decision was made, but it was not recorded in a way anyone can find.

Here is a practical routine: which decisions to record, how to get confirmation and where to keep it all. At the end there is a simple change order template you can send in any messaging app.

What is a change order in construction

A change order is a written record of a change to the agreed work: what changes, how it affects the price and the schedule, and the client's agreement, made before the work is done. On larger projects it is a formal form signed by both parties. In renovation work many changes are agreed in conversation, and the same principle works in a lighter form: one written record per change, confirmed by the client.

Which decisions to record

You do not need to record every word. Record the decisions that change the result, the schedule or the money:

• Changes to the plan. Moved sockets and outlets, a different layout, a different worktop height.

• Material substitutions. Different tiles, a different colour, a different brand.

• Extra costs and discounts. Any change to the price and what it is for.

• Schedule. A stage moved at the client's request or because of their decision.

• Work removed from scope. If the client decides to drop something from the quote, that is a decision too.

Why decisions get lost

The decision was made out loud. A conversation on site, a phone call, a voice note. A week later, each side remembers its own version.

The decision sank in a group chat. It was written down, but between photos, workers' questions and discussions. Six months later it is hard to find, and harder still to show the client.

The decision exists, the confirmation does not. The contractor wrote it, the client read it and did not reply. Six months later the client says they never agreed.

The decision never reached the worker. The client agreed it with the owner, but the worker is still following the old spec. The rework falls on the contractor.

A routine you can start today

These rules work with an ordinary messaging app and a document folder.

1. Record the decision first, then start the work. Any change that affects the result, the schedule or the money is written down and confirmed first, and done second.

2. One decision, one message. A short statement: what changes, where, how much it costs, how it affects the schedule. "Moving the bedroom socket 40 cm to the left. Extra cost €40. Stage deadline unchanged. Please confirm." A message like this is easy to search for and easy to forward.

3. Confirmation in words. A reply of "confirmed" or "agreed" in the client chat. A read receipt or a reaction only shows that the message was seen.

4. Client decisions in their own chat. The client chat is kept separate from the crew's working chat. It holds only decisions, questions for the client and results. Why the crew's group chat is the wrong place for this is covered in Construction site communication.

5. Attach the document to the decision. If the change concerns a drawing, mark it on the plan and attach it to the message. If a material changes, attach a photo or a link. A decision backed by a document is clear without explanation.

6. Pass the decision to the worker the same day. Once confirmed, the change goes into the worker's spec. The worker follows the current document, not the owner's memory.

7. A weekly summary. A short message to the client: which decisions were made this week and what changed in cost and schedule. The client sees the full picture, and you have one more confirmation.

A simple change order template

Copy and fill it in for each change:

• Change order No. __ — job: [address]

• What changes: …

• Where: room, wall, detail.

• Reason: client request or site condition.

• Cost: + €… or no change in price.

• Schedule: + … days or no change in schedule.

• Attachments: marked-up drawing, photo, product link.

• Client confirmation: "Confirmed", date.

For larger changes, a signed change order form is the safer option. Your contract defines which form is required.

Where this routine reaches its limit

The routine works as long as the owner keeps it up personally: writing up decisions, collecting confirmations, updating workers' specs, sending summaries. With every new job there are more decisions, and client chats keep growing. Six months later the decision can still be found, but it sits among hundreds of messages, and mostly only the person who wrote it can find it.

The next step is to keep decisions next to the work they belong to: in project documents, in the spec and in the change history.

How DOMOD handles this

In DOMOD, agreements with the client come together in one project:

• A separate client chat. The Client talks to the Owner and the project's Managers. The crew's working discussions happen in stage chats.

• Project documents the Client can see. Plans, drawings and documents are uploaded to the project. The Client can view and comment on them and add their own files.

• Spec and change history. Changes go into the task spec, and the Worker follows the current version. The system records changes to specs, project and stage descriptions, task deadlines and documents.

• The result in the stage passport. After each stage, the Client receives a passport describing and showing what was done. It confirms the outcome of the decisions made along the way. More in As-built documentation.

More in the help centre: Project chats and How the client follows progress.

DOMOD works from your phone. Managers, Workers and Clients join for free, and the first 14 days are a free trial.

In short

• Record the decisions that change the result, the schedule or the money: plan changes, material substitutions, extra costs, schedule changes, work removed from scope.

• Decision and confirmation in words first, then the work. One decision per message, with the document attached. The worker gets the change the same day.

• The routine depends on the owner. To take that load off, decisions need to live next to the work: in project documents, the spec and the change history.

FAQ

What should a construction change order include?

What changes and where, the reason, the effect on price and schedule, attachments such as a marked-up drawing or a photo, and the client's confirmation with a date.

Is a chat message enough to confirm a change order?

A written message shows that the client knew about the change and agreed to it. Whether it is enough in a dispute depends on your contract and local law. For significant changes in price or schedule, a signed document is the safer choice.

What if the client does not reply to a change order?

Hold the work on that change until the reply comes, and send a reminder in the client chat. Until the decision is confirmed, work to the last agreed version.