For remodelers
Change orders for remodelers
On a remodel, the walls and floors you open decide the real scope, and homeowners change their minds once they see the space. A signed change order for each change keeps the budget honest and keeps the last payment from turning into an argument.
Updated
Three extras remodelers run into
Example 1 · Main bathroom remodel
Subfloor damage under the old bathroom floor
Why, in the customer's words
When the old toilet and tile came up, the plywood around the toilet was soft from a slow leak, and one floor joist under it is damaged. New tile needs a solid floor, so we need to fix both before we tile.
- Replace water-damaged subfloor (sq ft)32 × $12.50$400.00
- Sister damaged floor joist1 × $350.00$350.00
| Before this change | $18,500.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $750.00 |
| New total | $19,250.00 |
Example 2 · Kitchen remodel
Moving the sink to the island
Why, in the customer's words
You decided to move the sink from the window wall to the new island. That needs new drain and water lines run under the floor to the island, a vent for the drain and an update to the permit.
- Move sink drain and water lines to island1 × $1,850.00$1,850.00
- Island drain vent1 × $165.00$165.00
- Plumbing permit update1 × $75.00$75.00
| Before this change | $42,000.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $2,090.00 |
| New total | $44,090.00 |
Example 3 · Primary bathroom remodel
Upgraded shower valve and tub filler
Why, in the customer's words
At the showroom you picked a thermostatic shower valve and a floor-mounted tub filler instead of the ones in the quote. These lines are the difference in price and the time it takes to set the tub filler in the floor.
- Thermostatic shower valve and trim, upgrade1 × $640.00$640.00
- Floor-mounted tub filler, upgrade1 × $480.00$480.00
- Floor rough-in for tub filler (hours)3 × $95.00$285.00
| Before this change | $26,800.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $1,405.00 |
| New total | $28,205.00 |
Example prices in US dollars. Yours come from your own Products & Services in Jobber.
How it works for remodelers
Show it while it's open
Film the rotten subfloor or take photos before anything gets covered up. The video and photos go on the change order.
Lines from your list
Autofill writes the reason and picks lines from your Products & Services in Jobber, at your prices. Edit anything before it goes.
The homeowner signs off
Send it by text or email. They read the reason, see the new total and sign off on their phone, no app and no account.
Back on the Jobber job
The new lines, a pinned note and the signed PDF land on the job, so the final invoice already has the extra work on it.
What the customer sees
The homeowner sees your company, the job, the reason in plain words, the photos and each line with its price. Above the Sign off button they see the total before this change, the change and the new total, so the budget conversation happens now, not at the last payment.
Main bathroom remodel
Subfloor damage under the old bathroom floor
When the old toilet and tile came up, the plywood around the toilet was soft from a slow leak, and one floor joist under it is damaged. New tile needs a solid floor, so we need to fix both before we tile.
| Before this change | $18,500.00 |
|---|---|
| This change | + $750.00 |
| New total | $19,250.00 |
Questions
Do I need a change order when the homeowner picks a nicer fixture?
Yes. An upgrade is extra work the customer chose, so write the difference as a change order and have them sign off before you order it. Then nobody is surprised on the final invoice.
What about hidden damage I couldn't see when I quoted?
That is what a change order is for. Film what you found while it's open, send the change order and wait for the sign-off before you fix it. The photos and the signature stay with the job.
Can my subs or lead hands write them?
Yes. Anyone on your team can write a change order in Changed on their phone and send it for sign-off. Only the customer can sign off on it.