Search "change order example" and you get a hundred blank templates. That is not what you actually need. A template shows you the empty boxes. It does not show you what to write in them so a client signs without a three-day argument. This post is the opposite: five real change order examples pulled from everyday residential and light-commercial jobs, with the exact wording that got each one approved and the small stuff that would have gotten them disputed.
Steal any of them. Change the numbers to fit your job. The point is the shape of a good change order example, not the specific dollar figure.
What every good change order example has in common
Before the examples, here is the pattern they all share. A change order that gets signed fast does five things every single time:
- Names the reason. Client asked for it, an inspector required it, or you found something hidden. No reason, no signature.
- Describes the work in plain terms. Enough detail that nobody can claim later they thought it meant something else.
- Shows one clear price. A lump sum, or a stated rate if it is time and materials. Never "we'll figure it out."
- States the schedule impact. Even "adds 2 days" or "no change to completion date." Silence on time is where disputes start.
- Gets signed before the work happens. A change order signed after the fact is just an invoice you are hoping they honor.
If you want the field-by-field version of this, we wrote a full walkthrough on how to write a change order. Everything below is those rules applied to real situations.
Change order example 1: the homeowner-requested upgrade
The most common one. Mid-kitchen remodel, the homeowner walks the job and decides the laminate countertops in the contract are not what they want anymore. They want quartz.
Change Order #3 — Countertop upgrade
Reason: Homeowner requested upgrade from contracted laminate to quartz.
Scope: Remove laminate countertops (per original contract) and supply/install approx. 42 sq ft of Level 2 quartz, including undermount sink cutout, eased edge, and seam at the range. Backsplash not included.
Price: Add $3,850 (materials $2,600, labor $1,250). Lump sum.
Schedule: Adds 5 business days for quartz template and fabrication.
Terms: Approval required before material is ordered. Balance due with next progress payment.
Why it works: It names the upgrade as the homeowner's request, so there is no argument about who wanted it. It carves out what is not included (the backsplash), which is the number-one place these go sideways. And it ties the price to a signature before ordering, so you are not eating a $2,600 slab if they change their mind.
Change order example 2: the hidden condition you found mid-job
You open a wall or pull up flooring and find something the bid could never have accounted for. This is where a written change order protects you, because the homeowner did not see it coming and neither did you.
Change Order #2 — Rotted subfloor, hall bath
Reason: Concealed water damage discovered after removing existing tile. Not visible or knowable at time of bid.
Scope: Remove and dispose of approx. 60 sq ft of rotted subfloor and one damaged floor joist. Sister the joist, install new 3/4" plywood subfloor, and treat surrounding framing. Photos attached.
Price: Add $1,420. Lump sum.
Schedule: Adds 1 day. Tile install shifts accordingly.
Why it works: The phrase "not visible or knowable at time of bid" does a lot of quiet work — it heads off the "shouldn't you have caught this?" conversation. Attaching photos turns a judgment call into a fact. When a homeowner can see the rot, they stop negotiating and start signing.
Skip the Word doc. Send it in 30 seconds.
ChangeOrdersPro turns this into a 30-second job — fill in the change, hit send, and your client signs from their phone. The contract total updates itself. It’s 100% free.
Create a free change order →Change order example 3: the time and materials change order
Sometimes you genuinely cannot price the work up front because you do not know how big it is yet. A buried line, an unknown electrical situation, water intrusion behind a finished wall. Instead of guessing a lump sum, you write a T&M change order with a hard cap so the client is not signing a blank check.
Change Order #4 — Locate and reroute buried drain line (T&M)
Reason: Existing drain location unknown; extent of rerouting cannot be determined until excavated.
Scope: Excavate to locate existing 4" drain, assess condition, and reroute as needed to clear new footing. Time and materials.
Rate: Labor $95/hr per man. Materials at cost plus 15%. Equipment (mini-ex) $450/day.
Not-to-exceed: $4,200 without written approval to continue.
Schedule: 1–3 days depending on findings.
Why it works: The not-to-exceed number is the whole ballgame. It gives the homeowner a ceiling so they will actually sign, and it protects you because anything past $4,200 needs a fresh okay. If you are new to pricing this way, the difference between T&M and lump sum is worth understanding before you send one.
Change order example 4: the credit (negative change order)
Change orders are not always add-ons. When a client drops something from the scope, you owe them a credit — and putting it in writing keeps your paperwork honest and your final invoice from looking like a surprise.
Change Order #5 — Delete built-in bench, credit
Reason: Homeowner elected to remove the mudroom built-in bench from scope.
Scope: Delete supply and install of custom bench and cubbies (per original contract, line 14). Wall to be finished and painted only.
Price: Deduct ($1,150). Credit to contract total.
Schedule: No change to completion date.
Why it works: A negative change order builds enormous trust. The homeowner sees that your change orders cut both ways, so they stop treating every one you send as a shakedown. It also keeps your running contract total accurate, which matters when you reconcile the final bill. A clean change order template handles credits the same way it handles adds — just with a minus sign.
Change order example 5: the subcontractor change order to the GC
If you are a sub, your change order goes up to the general contractor, not the homeowner — and it has to reference the GC's paperwork to get processed. Same bones, different audience.
Change Order #7 — Additional circuits, Unit 2B
Reason: Owner revision per GC directive #12 dated last Tuesday. Added island and under-cabinet lighting not in original electrical scope.
Scope: Furnish and install two 20A circuits, one dedicated island receptacle, and low-voltage under-cabinet feed. Includes rough-in, trim, and inspection coordination.
Price: Add $1,690. Lump sum.
Schedule: No impact if approved before rough-in inspection Thursday.
Why it works: It cites the GC's own directive number, so there is a paper trail the GC can hand to the owner. It ties the price to a deadline the GC cares about (rough-in inspection), which is how a sub gets a change order approved fast instead of buried. Naming the directive is what separates "getting paid" from "chasing it in ninety days."
Copy this, not the blank box
Look back at all five. Different jobs, different audiences, same skeleton every time: a reason, a plain scope, one clear price, a schedule note, and a signature line before work starts. That is the entire game. The blank template you found online has the boxes; these examples show you what belief goes in them.
You can write any of these on paper. The catch is that paper and Word docs slow down the one thing that actually matters — the signature. That is exactly why we built our free change order tool: you fill in the change, hit send, and your client signs from their phone in about thirty seconds. Every example above takes under two minutes to send and the contract total updates itself. It is, and stays, 100% free — here is why. When you are ready, start with the change order maker or browse the rest of our change order guides.
Grab the free Excel change order template
A professional, auto-calculating change order spreadsheet — line items, markup, tax and your revised contract value all worked out for you, plus a log to track every change order on the job. Free to download and use on any project.
Download the free Excel template →Frequently asked questions
What is a good example of a change order?
A good change order example names the reason for the change (client request, hidden condition, or a directive), describes the added or removed work in plain language, shows one clear price, notes the schedule impact, and is signed before the work starts. Example 1 above — the countertop upgrade — is a clean model to copy.
What should a change order include?
Every change order should include a number, the reason for the change, a specific scope of work, the price (lump sum or a stated rate for time and materials), the schedule impact, and a signature line. Missing any one of these is where disputes come from.
Can a change order be a credit or reduction?
Yes. A negative change order documents work removed from the scope and credits the amount back to the contract total. It works exactly like an add, just with a deduction. Example 4 above shows the wording.
Do I need a signed change order before doing the work?
Almost always. A change order signed after the work is done is really just an invoice you are hoping the client honors. Get the signature first — on a lump sum, or on a not-to-exceed cap for time and materials — so both sides agreed before a dollar was spent.
Daisy writes about the unglamorous side of running a build — the paperwork, the change orders, and the conversations that keep a job profitable. ChangeOrdersPro is the free tool her team built so contractors can send a professional change order and get it signed from a phone in about 30 seconds.