Best of ArtisansChange Orders During a Remodel: What Should Be in Writing Before Work Continues
A change order can protect both homeowner and contractor when the scope changes. The key is documenting cost, schedule and exactly what is different before work continues.
Renovation plans change. A hidden pipe appears, a product becomes unavailable, or the homeowner decides to upgrade a finish. The problem is not that changes happen—the problem is allowing cost and scope to drift without a clear written record.
Start With a Detailed Original Contract
The FTC recommends written home-improvement estimates and contracts that clearly describe the work, materials, dates and price. That baseline makes a later change much easier to evaluate.
What a Useful Change Order Should Identify
- The original item being changed
- The new work or material
- Anything being deleted from the original scope
- Added or reduced cost
- Any effect on allowances or taxes
- Schedule impact
- Who is responsible for ordering or selecting materials
- Approval by both parties
Separate Owner Changes From Hidden Conditions
Choosing a more expensive tile is different from discovering unsafe wiring behind a wall. Labeling why a change occurred makes the project history easier to understand and helps prevent arguments later.
Ask for the Net Price, Not Just the Added Price
If a change removes an original material or task, the change order should show the credit as well as the new charge. Otherwise homeowners can end up paying for both the original and replacement scope.
Do Not Let Verbal Changes Stack Up
A quick conversation on a busy jobsite can be forgotten or understood differently by each person. Follow up in writing before labor or materials are committed whenever possible.
Watch the Schedule Too
A product upgrade may look like a simple price change but add weeks of lead time. A structural change can affect inspections and downstream trades. Ask whether the completion date changes before approving the work.
Our Practical Take
We would keep one running change-order log for the project. It should show the original contract price, every approved increase or credit, and the current total. That one document makes budget drift much easier to see.
Related Reading
Use our guide to comparing contractor estimates, review the 2026 remodeling outlook, and browse more Remodeling guides.
Source
Federal Trade Commission — How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam
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