Change order packet checklist
A contractor change order packet checklist.
Change orders slow down when the proof is scattered across texts, photos, vendor quotes, field notes, and accounting exports. A useful packet brings the evidence together so the project lead can review scope, cost, timing, and customer communication before anything is sent.
Guide
Use this before you automate the work.
Change orders slow down when the proof is scattered across texts, photos, vendor quotes, field notes, and accounting exports. A useful packet brings the evidence together so the project lead can review scope, cost, timing, and customer communication before anything is sent.
Step 1
Gather the change evidence
The packet should explain what changed, who requested it, why it matters, and what proof supports the request. Without that context, the change order becomes a negotiation from memory.
- Original scope, contract section, estimate line, or work order reference.
- Photos, field notes, emails, texts, and customer request details.
- Vendor quotes, labor notes, material lists, and schedule impact.
- Open questions that block pricing, approval, or customer communication.
Step 2
Separate draft work from approval
TeamShift can organize the evidence, chase missing inputs, and draft the packet structure. Legal wording, price approval, insurance judgment, and final customer submission should stay with the responsible reviewer.
- Create a review packet before sending anything to the customer.
- Flag mismatches between source notes, photos, and cost backup.
- Hold final pricing and contract-sensitive language for review.
- Keep an audit trail of the sources used to assemble the packet.
Step 3
Make the handoff easy to approve
The packet should end with a short decision list. The reviewer needs to see what is ready, what is missing, what the customer will receive, and which assumptions still need approval.
- Summary of the requested change and why it is needed.
- Evidence list with links or filenames.
- Draft customer note or change order summary.
- Approval checklist for price, timing, scope, and send decision.
Questions
Before you hand this off
Does TeamShift approve change orders?
No. TeamShift prepares the packet and drafts follow-up. Approval, pricing, contract language, and final submission stay with the responsible reviewer.
What makes a change order packet useful?
It should connect scope, evidence, cost backup, timing impact, missing items, and the approval decision in one reviewable place.