The anatomy of a useful change order
Five pieces that make an added-work quote easier to approve and deliver.
A good change order is short enough to read and complete enough to prevent a second misunderstanding. Its job is to connect a new request to the commercial and delivery consequences of saying yes.
Start with the changed fact
Name the client request in their language, then state how it differs from the accepted baseline. This avoids vague labels such as “additional services” that nobody can reconstruct later.
Link to the relevant original deliverable or decision. The reader should understand the change without searching a long email thread.
- Requested outcome
- Original baseline
- Date or source of the request
Describe the resulting work
List the work at the level the client can verify: one new template, migration of twenty entries, or a second direction. Include dependencies such as supplied copy or timely access.
State exclusions when they are likely to be assumed. A new landing page may not include copywriting, photography or another analytics setup.
- Included tasks and output
- Client responsibilities
- Explicit exclusions
Make price and timing inseparable
Show the fee, tax treatment if relevant, and payment timing. Then show the delivery effect: a new date, added working days or no change if another item is removed.
End with a direct approval action and a validity window when capacity is time-sensitive. Once accepted, add the work to the project plan rather than leaving the change order as a disconnected document.
- Total added fee
- Schedule effect
- Approval and expiry terms
