Job — change orders
Every CO for the job in order, each with its signed document and tagged costs.
Contractor finance · Change orders
Keep change orders and their costs together
Scope creep is where contractor money leaks: the client asks for an extra bathroom rough-in, you do the work, and the signed change order plus the added material and labor never make it onto an invoice. A change order only protects you if the document, the added costs, and a billed status all live together. Cash Workspace gives you one place to record each change order with its signed document attached and its costs tagged to it.
The problem
Why change-order work goes unbilled
Change orders happen in the field, often verbally first, and the paperwork lags. The extra materials and hours get spent, but without a record tying them to the change order they slip off the invoice.
- An approved extra-scope item is built but never added to a client invoice.
- The signed change-order document sits in a truck folder, separate from the costs.
- Added materials for the change blend in with the base-contract material buys.
- Nobody can say which change orders are billed and which are still owed.
- At dispute time, there's no clean trail linking the signature to the work and cost.
The workflow
Record the change, attach it, and bill it
Capture each change order as its own record, attach the signed document, tag its costs, and track whether it's been billed.
- 1
Create a change-order record
When scope changes, create a record for that change order tied to the job.
- 2
Attach the signed document
Attach the signed change-order document so the approval lives with the record.
- 3
Tag the added costs
Tag the extra material receipts and labor notes to the change order, separate from base-contract costs.
- 4
Set a billed status
Mark the change order billed or unbilled so extra-scope work doesn't go uninvoiced.
- 5
Review unbilled changes
Scan unbilled change orders before sending the next invoice so nothing is left out.
Record structure
What to record for each change order
These fields keep the approval, the cost, and the billing status of every change in one place.
- Change-order number
- A sequential CO number per job, e.g. CO-03, so changes stay in order.
- Job
- The job the change order belongs to, kept with that job's folder.
- Description
- What changed — e.g. add bathroom rough-in, upgrade fixtures.
- Added material cost
- The extra material spend, with receipts tagged to this change order.
- Added labor
- Extra hours or labor cost noted against the change order.
- Signed document
- The signed change-order form attached, with the approval date.
- Billed status
- Billed or unbilled, so extra-scope work gets invoiced.
- Date approved
- When the client signed off, for the record trail.
Example setup
An example change-order setup
One way to keep changes documented and billable inside your workspace.
Unbilled changes
Change orders done but not yet invoiced, held here until billed.
Signed CO documents
Scans or photos of each signed change-order form, attached to its record.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Doing change-order work on a verbal OK with no signed document attached.
- Letting added material costs blend into base-contract buys.
- Leaving change orders with no billed status, so extra work goes uninvoiced.
- Storing the signed form separately from the cost record.
- Skipping the unbilled-changes review before each invoice goes out.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
A record per change order
Keep each change order as its own record tied to the job, in numbered order.
Document and costs together
Attach the signed change-order document and tag its added material and labor so approval and cost stay linked.
Billed/unbilled status
Mark each change order billed or unbilled so extra-scope work is invoiced, not forgotten.
Related
Related contractor finance workflows
Progress billing records
Track staged invoices and fold change orders into draws.
Client invoice status records
Keep paid/unpaid status on invoices, change orders included.
Estimate vs. actual records
See where change orders moved a job off its estimate.
Project document organizer
Keep contracts, COs, and approvals filed per project.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Change-order records FAQ
- How do I keep change-order costs from blending into the base contract?
- Tag the extra material receipts and labor notes to the change-order record itself, separate from the job's base-contract costs, so each change's cost is its own line.
- How do I know which change orders are still unbilled?
- Mark each change order billed or unbilled and keep unbilled ones in their own view. You review them before each invoice — the product does not invoice or remind for you.
- Where should the signed change order live?
- Attach the signed document directly to the change-order record so the approval, the description, and the added costs are all in one place if a question comes up.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Stop letting change-order work go unbilled
Start a free workspace and record each change order with its signed document and added costs so extra-scope work is documented and ready to invoice.