Free Construction Change Order Forms and Templates

What is a change order form?

Change order forms are used in the construction industry when changes to the contract are required. Change orders happen when a client or contractor decides that changes are needed to the initial agreement. This could be to add time and material costs or other similar changes to the overall scope of work. 

Change orders happen on almost every construction project to account for additional work that is needed along the way. This article summarizes the purpose of construction change order forms and provides several free templates that can be used by contractors for different types of change orders in construction.

What are the causes of a change order?

Companies do their best to avoid change orders, but there are many circumstances in which change orders become necessary in a construction project. Some common reasons include:

• Ambiguities in the original contract or design drawings
• Unforeseen circumstances that could not have been known
• Challenges with materials or supply chain issues
• Poor project management 

Regardless of the reason to initiate a change order, it’s important that all parties involved have clear documentation included in the construction change order form.

What to include in a construction change order form

The construction change order form will be different depending on the company and project needs. Here are some of the basic types of information included in many scenarios:

• Project-specific details. All of the basic information needed to know about the project.
• Changes to be made. Detailed changes to the scope of work and any justification for the changes to be made.
• Updated timeline and pricing. Change orders usually cause changes to the initial pricing and timeline, so clearly documenting expectations is needed in the change order.
• Line for signatures. Most change orders will require signatures as proof that both parties agreed to the updated agreements.

While most of this can be captured using paper forms, there are some clear benefits to managing the process with digital forms and apps for change orders.

Key Benefits of Using Digital Forms Rather than Paper

Changes to the scope of work can cause delays and overruns on budget, so it’s important to have clear documentation for record-keeping. Should litigation arise, it’s important to have these documents available.

Instead of using paper forms or one-off Word documents or PDF documents, companies are starting to leverage mobile app platforms to provide secure, digital forms for change orders. This benefits construction firms and clients in a number of ways:

• Increased efficiency. Instead of employees traveling between the office and job location to submit paperwork, all of this can be managed digitally. With construction change order forms managed through a mobile device or tablet, changes can be made from anywhere and digital signatures can all be collected through one platform.
• Increased visibility in the field. Digital construction change order forms allow you to instantly transfer in-progress change orders from one person to another to review, approve, or reject then sync to the cloud for easy access. PDF copies and reports can be generated in real-time and shared with the appropriate parties via email or notification. 
• Avoid expensive storage volume, costs, and searchability. Store all of your completed change orders in the cloud for easy access from anywhere, anytime. 
• Avoid damaged or lost paperwork. Electronic submissions eliminate the risk of damaged and lost paperwork. Access your data anytime from anywhere from a mobile device. Solutions for digital forms can prevent data loss and avoid version control issues that create confusion.

Getting Started with Construction Change Order Forms on GoCanvas

GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for businesses to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others, and gain real-time insight into their business. Construction firms and contractors rely on GoCanvas to increase productivity, streamline business operations, and create a competitive advantage.  

Below you will find some of our most popular templates that can be used for digital change order forms for construction firms and contractors. You can get started for free using our templates and customize them to fit you specific business requirements.

Construction Change Order Form Templates and Examples

Construction Change Order Form

Change orders happen on almost every construction project to account for additional work that is needed along the way.  Whether you have small changes to the construction project’s estimated costs or need to scope out the overhead costs for more substantial work, this construction change order form template can quickly generate the form for you. 

 

Subcontractor Change Order Form

The subcontractor change order form is similar to the basic change order that tracks the running changes to the project. However, this template is designed to be used solely between a contractor and subcontractor. This template can be used when there is a change to a subcontract purchase order that would require a change to the scope of work and updated documents.

Time & Materials Change Order Form

When extra work is needed on a construction project, the general contractor or construction manager can create a change order form using this time and materials change order form. Change orders are often done on a time and materials (T&M) basis, even if the original contract is fixed-fee. It’s faster and easier than calculating all the materials and their cost, estimating the labor, then adding overhead and profit. 

Change Order Log

As a general contractor in construction management, this construction change order log will help you save time, work, and money on every owner-contractor agreement. When everyone has access to the same construction documents, you can avoid breach of contract terms, contract disputes, and construction disputes so you can keep the project on schedule.

Electrical Contractors Change Order

The electrical contractors change order is designed to prevent work delays on electrical projects. Efficiently process change requests from your smartphone or tablet. Perfect for use by project managers or general contractors who need to manage change orders for their electrical sub-contractors.

Looking for additional templates?

GoCanvas has hundreds of pre-built forms with a variety of features to fit all of your business needs. Discover more construction change order forms that are available in our Application Store.