Change order
A written change to the scope of work, usually adding cost or time. Signed by both sides. Change orders are how flip budgets grow.
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Where this comes up: getting ready
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
If you are doing work before listing, every change to the job is a change order, and change orders are how a $12,000 kitchen becomes $17,000. Getting each one in writing keeps the number and the argument small.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
Mid-remodel the contractor finds rotten subfloor under the old tile. A change order adds $1,400 and three days, signed by both of you.
| What happens | With a change order |
|---|---|
| Hidden rot found under the floor | A written price and a new date; no surprise at the final bill |
| You decide on a different countertop | The same; the difference is priced before it is ordered |
| A verbal "just do it" | A bill you cannot check against anything |
A change order is the contract catching up with the job. No paper, no agreed price.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That change orders are the contractor padding the bill. Some are; most are what the walls hid, and the paper is what tells the two apart.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines change order in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
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