Keep one running change order log for every job

On most dirt jobs, change orders end up in different places. One is a text to the customer, one is a note on a clipboard, one is a quote that was never signed, and one was billed last month because someone remembered it. Nobody can answer a simple question: how much extra work is on this job, and how much of it have we been paid for?

A change order log answers that in one place. It is a running list for each job, updated as each change moves from idea to signed to billed. You can keep it in a spreadsheet, a notebook, or on the job record in TrackOver. The format matters less than keeping one list.

What each row should hold

• The date it came up. When the crew found the problem or the customer asked, not when the paperwork was done.
• What it is, in plain words. "Ledge at 4 ft across the north trench," not "CO 3." Someone reading it cold should understand the extra work.
• Why it is extra. An unforeseen site condition, a customer change, an engineer's revision, or a utility that was not where the drawings said. This is the paper trail if the customer later disputes it.
• Price and quantity. The lines, the total, and whether tax applies, in the same units you would bid the work.
• Status. Draft, sent, approved or declined. Once an approved change order goes onto an invoice, it is billed.
• Photo or document. A link to the photo of the condition and the signed approval, when you have them.

Walk one change through the log

The crew hits ledge on Tuesday. The foreman takes three photos and sends a note to the office. On Wednesday the office writes a priced change order and sends it to the customer. The row says "sent," with the date.

The customer signs on Friday. The row moves to "approved," with the approval date beside it. The work gets done the following week. When the invoice goes out, the change order is attached to it, and the row now points to that invoice. Nothing is left in limbo.

If the customer had declined on Friday, the row would say "declined," and the crew would have a written record that the scope did not change. Either answer is better than an open question.

Why status matters more than the total

The total tells you how big the extra work is. The status tells you what it is worth to you right now. A change order that is "sent" and unsigned is unpaid work at risk. One that is "approved" but not on an invoice is earned money you have not collected yet. Totals by status show the gap between the work you have done and the money you have asked for, and that gap is the number to watch.

TrackOver keeps each change order on the job with its lines, total, status and the invoice it went onto. The estimates and invoices feature keeps that record with the bill. It also reminds the office when a change order has been out with the customer for a while: three days after it was sent, and again at seven days. Those reminders exist because unsigned extra work is the easiest kind to forget.

A signed record you can stand behind

When a customer approves a change order through its link, TrackOver records their typed name, their consent to sign electronically, the time and device, and a fingerprint of the exact lines and total they agreed to. If a line is reworded or swapped after they saw it, the approval will not match, so the change is caught instead of being approved unseen. This is a record of what was agreed, not a legal opinion. Whether an electronic signature is enough for your contracts is a question for your attorney.

Close the job with the log clean

Before you mark the job finished, scan the log for rows still in "draft" or "sent," and for "approved" rows with no invoice. Those are the two places extra work quietly disappears. Our year-end closeout checklist runs the same check at the end of the year, but it is much cheaper to do when the job ends.

Where to start

Start the log on your next job, even if it is a clipboard. Add a row every time something changes the scope, the price or the schedule. For writing and getting one signed, see change orders on dirt jobs. For what the term means in general, see what a change order is.

Common questions

Should every small extra get its own row? If it changes price, scope or schedule, yes. Small items can be grouped under one change order, as long as each line says what the work is and has a price.

What if the crew did the work before anyone wrote it down? Log it the day you find out, with the photos and the time it took, then send the change order as soon as you can. Late paperwork is better than none, but sooner is better.

Does the log replace the contract? No. It tracks extra work against the contract you already have. Your contract's change clause decides how changes must be approved, so check it.