Free change order template for contractors
Extra work done on a verbal “yeah, go ahead” is how contractors end up working for free. Use this template — print it, or copy it into your own paperwork — so every “while you're here” request becomes an approved, billable change order before the crew touches it.
CHANGE ORDER
Change Order # ______ · Date: ____________
Company: ____________________
Phone: ______________________
Project
Client name: ______________________________
Job / address: ____________________________
Original contract amount: $________________
This change
Price of this change: $____________________
New contract total: $______________________
Schedule impact: ______ additional day(s)
Description of added / changed work
Client signature: __________________________
Name & date
Contractor signature: ______________________
Name & date
The three rules that make change orders stick
- Before, not after. Get the yes before the work starts — an approval collected after the fact invites the argument it was supposed to prevent.
- Dollars on paper. “It'll be a bit extra” is how $1,850 becomes $0. Write the exact price and the new total.
- One record, not five apps. A signed page in the truck is better than nothing — but it can't prove when it was approved, and it gets lost. Keep the estimate, approval, photos, and invoice in one place.
The faster version: a one-tap approval link
Swornbook turns this exact template into a link you text or email from the job site. Your client taps, types their name, and the approval lands on the job's time-stamped record — connected to the photos and the final invoice. Free 14-day trial, no card: protect your next change order →
This template is provided free for your business use. It is not legal advice — have a professional review the paperwork you rely on.