A change order the customer approves before you carry on

You open up a wall and find something nobody priced. A change order, called a variation order in much of the world, records what you found, what fixing it costs and how it moves the finish date. The customer reads it on their phone and approves it with their name, or sends you a question first.

When to use it

• Hidden damage turns up, like wet plasterboard behind old tiles.
• The customer asks for something extra halfway through, such as another socket or a different finish.
• The owner is at work and you need a decision today, not a chat on Friday.
• Extra work will push the completion date and you want that agreed as well.

What a good one includes

• A reference to the original job, so this sits clearly on top of the first agreement rather than replacing it.
• What you found, in plain words. People approve costs they understand.
• The extra work as priced lines, ending in the amount added to the bill.
• A new completion date if it changes. A silent delay causes as much trouble as a silent cost.
• An optional deposit, for when the extra work needs materials up front. Taking it needs Stripe connected.

Make one by saying what you need

Text it, type it or say it, the way you'd tell a colleague:

Change order for the Oak Lane kitchen job at Ridgeway Builders: rotten joist under the sink, $640 to replace, finish moves back two days.

Questions

What's the difference between a change order and a variation order?

They're the same thing. Change order is the usual term in the US, and variation is common in the UK, Australia and elsewhere.

Do I need one for a small change?

It's worth it for anything that changes the price or the date, because memories differ later. Some home improvement rules also expect changes in writing, so look up the position for your trade.

What if the customer has questions?

They tap 'I have questions first' and type them. The message comes to you and the page tells them nothing happens until you've replied.