3 Ways the Architect Can Change a Contractor’s Work
In most commercial construction projects, there are three ways an owner — via the architect — can alter the work of the contract: the architect’s supplemental instructions, change orders, and...
Change Orders
This is the main blog page for articles about change orders in construction. A change order is an agreement that outlines changes to the scope of work on a project. You can browse the articles below to find help with change orders.
Because no two projects are alike, change orders come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re a feature of a large number of construction projects every year. Construction projects seldom go as planned. When changes are proposed, it’s important to get as much detail in writing as possible. Change orders detail those changes, and they could include information like the contract number, everyone’s name and address, the project’s description, the dates of change, the nature of the change, the updated schedule, and, most importantly, the updated value of the contract and the cost of the changes in labor and materials.
A word to the wise: don’t do any work until you have written proof of approval. This decreases your liability and risk of nonpayment on the part of the owner. After you get the change order in writing, include it with the project documents and make sure everyone gets a copy.
Employing change order best practices improves transparency on the project, protects you from nonpayment, decreases your liability, and makes sure everything runs smoothly when pay day rolls around.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for here on the blog, you can get help with change orders on the Expert Center. You can either read the questions that have already been answered, or you can ask a question for yourself, free of charge. With a little time, research, and expert guidance, you can learn to use change orders to get paid every time they come up in your practice.
Most Recent Posts on Change Orders
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How the Architect’s Supplemental Instruction (ASI) Works in Construction
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Request for Change Orders: Adjusting the contract scope
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Free Change Order Templates for Construction [Excel, Word, PDF]
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The Architect’s Role: Helping contractors & subs get paid
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Change order dispute leads to $4.2m lawsuit against Skanska USA
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Checklist For Contractors: Submit These Documents With Your Payment Application [Free Download]
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