What is a change order in remodeling, and how should it work?
Every project changes along the way. How a written change order protects both the homeowner and the contractor, and what one should say.
A change order is a short written agreement that changes the scope, price or schedule of a remodeling job after the contract's been signed. It says what's changing, what it adds or saves, and what it does to the timeline, and both you and the contractor approve it before the changed work starts. Nearly every project has a few. The trouble comes from changes agreed with a nod in the hallway and fought over when the final bill shows up.
Why jobs change
Plans change even on a well-planned job, and there are really four reasons.
The first is what's inside the walls. Open a wall or a floor and you find rot, water damage, undersized framing or old wiring. In the older houses in Saratoga County's villages and cities, that's close to routine.
The second is you. The room starts taking shape, and you decide you want a pantry cabinet after all, or the light moved a foot, or a different tile now that you see the first one on the wall.
Sometimes it's the product. A faucet gets discontinued, or a material's lead time would hold up the whole job.
And sometimes it's the inspector, who wants something nobody planned for, like extra blocking, a different vent route or a heavier circuit.
None of that is anybody's fault. It's remodeling. The change order is how it gets handled fairly.
What goes on one
It doesn't need to be long. A clear one fits on a page:
- The project, the date, and a reference to the original contract.
- What's changing, described well enough that both sides picture the same thing. "Replace rotted subfloor under the tub area, approximately the size of the tub footprint, with new plywood" tells you something. "Floor repair" doesn't.
- Why, in a line: "hidden water damage found during demolition" or "homeowner requested upgrade."
- The price: what it adds, or the credit.
- The schedule: how many days it adds, if any.
- The new contract total, so everyone knows where the job stands.
- Signatures or written approval from both sides before the work goes ahead.
It should also say how the money fits the existing payment schedule, for instance added to the next phase payment.
Why a handshake falls short
Talking it through feels easier in the moment. The contractor says, "While the wall's open, we could move that outlet," and you say, "Sure." Two weeks later there's a charge on the invoice you didn't see coming. Or the contractor figured you knew it was extra, and you figured it was a small favor. You both remember the conversation differently, and neither of you is lying.
Putting it in writing heads that off. It takes a few minutes and turns a hallway conversation into a record you both signed. It also keeps a string of small extras from quietly piling up over the length of a job.
When the wall's already open
Hidden conditions need their own routine, because they tend to come up halfway through a phase with the room torn apart. Work stops in that spot. The contractor shows you the problem, in person if you're around or with photos if you're not. They lay out the options, say repair versus replace, with a price on each. You pick one, it gets written up and approved, and work picks back up.
The estimate should already say that's how hidden conditions will be handled, before anyone swings a hammer. Our post on what a remodeling estimate should include explains why that clause is there. In an old house, set aside some money in your own budget for whatever's behind the plaster; our guide to restoring an old house in Saratoga Springs talks about what tends to turn up.
Credits go on the same paper
Change orders aren't only for adding cost. If you decide to buy your own light fixtures, drop a section of tile, or go with a cheaper countertop, that's a change too, and it should come back as a written credit against the contract. Keep credits and additions on the same paperwork and the running total stays honest.
Keeping changes from running the job
Decide early. Pick fixtures, tile and finishes before work starts whenever you can, because most kitchen and bathroom change orders come from decisions made late. Our Saratoga Springs kitchen remodel guide covers which choices to lock down before demolition.
Get the price before you say yes, even on something small. Know the current contract total after every change. And if three little things come up in the same week, put them on one change order instead of three.
Changes move the payment schedule, too. Our post on phased payments vs paying upfront explains how payments should stay tied to finished work as the scope shifts.
Frequently asked questions
Can a contractor charge for changes that were not written down?
That's exactly the fight a change order is meant to prevent. Whatever your contract says, insist on a written change order for every change in scope, price or schedule. It protects both of you from arguing later about what was agreed.
Does a change order have to be on paper?
It has to be in writing and approved by both sides. That can be a signed paper form or a written agreement over email, depending on what your contract allows. The point is a clear record of the change, its price and its effect on the schedule, approved before the work.
Are change orders a sign of a poorly planned project?
Not necessarily. Some things, like hidden rot, can't be known until the wall's open. But a job with a long stack of change orders from late decisions probably needed more planning up front.
We run every job this way, on our kitchens and everything else in Saratoga County: any change to scope, price or schedule gets written up and agreed before the work goes on. Nobody should find out the real total on the last day.
