For landscapers
Change orders for landscapers
Nobody knows what's under a yard until the digging starts, and the material it takes is hard to judge from the surface. A signed change order for each surprise keeps a good job from ending in a dispute over the bill.
Updated
Three extras landscapers run into
Example 1 · Front yard garden beds
Extra yards of soil
Why, in the customer's words
The beds were lower than they looked under the old mulch. Bringing them up to the right height takes about four more yards of soil than we planned, plus the time to spread it.
- Garden soil (cubic yards)4 × $68.00$272.00
- Spread and grade (hours)2 × $65.00$130.00
| Before this change | $3,200.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $402.00 |
| New total | $3,602.00 |
Example 2 · Backyard sod install
Irrigation repair found while digging
Why, in the customer's words
While grading, we found two cracked sprinkler lines and three broken heads under the old lawn. Fixing them now, before the sod goes down, saves tearing up the new grass later.
- Repair irrigation line2 × $85.00$170.00
- Replace sprinkler head3 × $28.00$84.00
| Before this change | $4,600.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $254.00 |
| New total | $4,854.00 |
Example 3 · Patio and planting bed
A buried stump and a large rock
Why, in the customer's words
We hit an old stump and a large rock right where the patio base goes. They need to come out so the patio doesn't settle and crack.
- Grind out buried stump and haul away1 × $375.00$375.00
- Remove large rock with mini excavator1 × $295.00$295.00
| Before this change | $6,750.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $670.00 |
| New total | $7,420.00 |
Example prices in US dollars. Yours come from your own Products & Services in Jobber.
How it works for landscapers
Photo the hole
Take a photo of the stump in the patio base or the cracked sprinkler line before you fill it in.
Lines from your list
Autofill writes the reason and picks lines like soil by the yard or a sprinkler head from your Products & Services in Jobber, at your prices.
The customer signs off
Text it to them, even if they're at work. They see the photo, the lines and the new total, and sign off on their phone.
Back on the Jobber job
The new lines, a pinned note with the photos and the signed PDF land on the job, so the crew and the invoice agree.
What the customer sees
The customer sees what you found, the photo and each line with its quantity and price. Before they sign off they see what the job was, what this change adds and the new total.
Front yard garden beds
Extra yards of soil
The beds were lower than they looked under the old mulch. Bringing them up to the right height takes about four more yards of soil than we planned, plus the time to spread it.
| Before this change | $3,200.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $402.00 |
| New total | $3,602.00 |
Questions
The customer isn't home. Can they still sign off?
Yes. Send the change order by text or email and they sign off from the link on their phone, wherever they are. No app and no account.
Do I need a change order for extra soil or mulch?
If it's more than the quote, yes. Write the added yards as a line, send it and get the sign-off before the truck comes, so the bill matches what they agreed to.