How to Write a Change Order (Template and Structure)
A change order is a short written agreement that documents a new or expanded request, its added cost and time, and the client's approval before the extra work begins. Six fields cover it: what changed, why, the added cost, the new timeline, the revised total, and a place to approve.
This guide gives you the structure field by field, shows what to write in each, and explains how to get it approved fast.
Quick summary
- A change order captures a scope change and gets it approved before you do the work.
- It needs six fields and should fit on one page; it is not a second contract.
- Always price the change and revise the running total so the client sees the full picture.
- Send it for signature the same day, so the work is never blocked waiting on paperwork.
What a change order is for
A change order does one job: it makes the cost of a new request visible at the moment it is made, then records the client's yes before you spend hours on it. It is the controlled-change step that keeps scope creep from quietly eating a fixed-price project.
It is not about being difficult. Half the time, seeing the price attached to "can you also just..." leads the client to decide it is not worth it. That is the change order working exactly as intended.
The change-order template, field by field
Keep it to one page. These six fields are all you need.
| Field | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Reference | Project name, original contract or SOW date, change-order number | Ties the change to the original agreement |
| Description of change | The new or expanded request, in plain language | Removes ambiguity about what was agreed |
| Reason | Who requested it and why | Records that the client initiated the change |
| Added cost | The extra fee, or hours at your rate | Makes the price explicit before work starts |
| Timeline impact | New dates or added days | Protects you from "but you promised Friday" |
| Revised total and approval | New project total, signature line, date | Confirms the client agreed before you proceed |
What each field looks like filled in
A short, concrete example beats a long form. A filled change order reads like this:
- Reference: Acme website redesign, SOW dated May 2, change order #1.
- Description of change: Add a 6-page blog section with category and tag templates (not included in the original 5-page scope).
- Reason: Requested by client on June 18 to support a content launch.
- Added cost: 14 hours at $120/hr = $1,680.
- Timeline impact: Adds 5 business days; new launch date June 30.
- Revised total and approval: Project total now $6,680. Approved by [name], [date].
How to get it approved fast
The change order only protects you once it is signed. Two habits keep it from becoming a bottleneck:
- Send it for e-signature immediately, while the request is fresh and the client is motivated.
- Pause the clock, not the relationship. "Happy to start as soon as this is approved" keeps you friendly without doing the work for free first.
If approvals routinely drag, how to get contracts signed faster covers the same friction fixes that apply to change orders.
Where the change order fits
The change order is the third piece of a three-part system. Your scope of work defines the original deliverables, the contract sets the legal terms, and the change order handles everything that lands afterward. Used together, they mean every hour you work is an hour you agreed to bill.
When a change order is the wrong tool
A change order is not for every tiny tweak. If a request is genuinely two minutes of work, formalizing it can make you look rigid and slow the relationship down.
The honest line a competitor will not write: if you send a change order for a one-word copy fix, you are training the client to dread working with you. Reserve change orders for requests that meaningfully add time or deliverables, and absorb the trivial ones as a deliberate choice. The threshold is "does this add real hours," not "is this technically out of scope."
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a change order?
Six fields: a reference to the original contract or SOW, a plain-language description of the change, the reason and who requested it, the added cost, the timeline impact, and a revised total with a signature line. Keeping it to one page makes it fast to approve.
What is the difference between a change order and a new contract?
A change order amends an existing agreement to cover one specific addition, while a new contract starts a separate engagement. A change order references the original SOW and only documents what changed, so it stays short rather than restating all the legal terms.
Do clients need to sign a change order?
Yes. The signature is what makes it enforceable and protects you from disputes about cost or timeline later. Send it for e-signature as soon as the request comes in, and treat approval as the green light to begin the extra work.
When should you send a change order?
Send one whenever a request meaningfully adds hours or deliverables beyond the agreed scope, before you start the work. Skip it for trivial tweaks that take minutes, which are better absorbed as a deliberate goodwill choice than formalized.
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