"While you're here, can you also..." You say sure. You find rot behind the vanity and fix it, because what else are you going to do. You add a day. None of it gets written up.
Last updated: October 2026 · By Gen X Still Standing
Write a change order the minute the job changes, before you do the extra work. No extra work without a signed change order.
Skipping it is money straight out of your pocket. Every time.
Writing up a change order in the middle of a job feels like a hassle and a confrontation. Every contractor has eaten a few thousand dollars in extra work because stopping to talk money in the middle of a job felt worse than losing the money.
It happens two ways. The customer adds something, or you open a wall and find a problem. Both get written up.
Don't bury the price. Don't blame the customer.
The hard part isn't the paper. It's the conversation. Make it a two-minute text instead of a confrontation:
"Found some rot when we pulled the vanity. Here's the change order. Just sign and we keep rolling."
Customers expect it. The pros always do it.
Contract, lien and collection rules vary by state. Get your state's wording checked once, and use it on every change order after that.
And if extra work slips by on most of your jobs, it's the same problem as the estimate you never chased and the invoice that's 30 days late. That's an office with nobody in it.
I spent 30 years building things with my hands. I learned the trades hands-on and ran my own construction company in Colorado. I had to close my company down and start over from zero. So at 53, off YouTube videos, I taught myself AI. I wasn't a tech guy. You don't need to be one either.
The free Contractor's Leak Finder: slow callbacks, quiet estimates, free extra work, late invoices and missing reviews. What each one costs, a score that tells you how bad it is, and where the numbers come from.
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When should I write a change order?
The minute the job changes, before you do the extra work. That covers the customer adding something and you opening a wall and finding a problem.
What goes on a change order?
The original job, what's changing and why, the added cost or credit, the new total, any added days, a line that work starts after it's signed, and signature lines for both of you.
How do I bring it up without a fight?
Send it with a short, friendly text: "Found some rot when we pulled the vanity. Here's the change order. Just sign and we keep rolling."
Do I need one for small extra work?
Yes. No extra work without a signed change order. Every change order has a price and a signature line.
Is there legal wording I need?
Contract, lien and collection rules vary by state. Get your state's wording checked once and use it every time. This isn't legal advice.
Educational only. Not legal advice. Contract, lien and collection rules vary by state. You're responsible for reviewing anything AI produces. Results vary and are not guaranteed. Built by a Gen Xer with AI, for Gen Xers.
