How to get a change order signed before the extra work starts

Before you send it

A change order should say what changes, what it costs, how it moves the schedule and the new contract total, and it should refer back to the original contract by date or number. Our guide on writing a change order has a structure you can copy. This page is about getting it signed.

Set it up once

1. 1

   Build a change order template

   Upload your change order form with New template on the Templates page. Add two roles, Homeowner and Contractor, so the homeowner signs first and you countersign.

2. 2

   Keep your numbers out of reach

   Draw boxes with the Markup Text tool for the description, the price change, the new total and the days added. What you type there prints on the page read-only, so the homeowner signs your numbers rather than editing them.

3. 3

   Give the homeowner a clear choice

   Place an Approve button and a Decline button next to the signature line. Approving is recorded like a signature, and a decline lets them give a reason instead of just not answering.

4. 4

   Save your own signature

   Save your signature under Settings › Profile › Your signature. Then switch on Sign my part right after sending on the review step, and you can countersign the moment it's your turn.

On the job

• Start an envelope from the template on your phone and title it with the job and a number, like 14 Elm St – CO 3. Search on the envelopes page matches titles, so numbered titles keep every change order on that job easy to find.
• Add a photo of the problem. In the page menu, choose Insert pages after and pick a photo from your camera roll. It becomes a page of the change order, so the homeowner sees exactly what you found.
• Type the description, price and new total into the text boxes you set up. Work the total out once, carefully; it's the number the homeowner agrees to.
• If the homeowner is standing there, send it and tap Sign in person next to their name. If they're at work, the email reaches their phone, and you can Copy link to text it to them as well.

Two owners on the deed? Add both as signers and set the order to All at once, so whoever sees it first doesn't hold up the other.

When the answer is no

If the homeowner taps Decline, the envelope shows it right away with their reason, so you can call before the crew moves on. If they want a different number, they can use Request changes on the signing page to tell you what should change. Either way, send a revised change order rather than editing the old one, since files can't change after sending. Duplicate as draft on the declined envelope gives you a copy to start from.