Change Order
A formal written amendment to a construction contract documenting changes to scope, cost, or schedule.
What change order actually means.
Change orders document any change to the original contract — additional work the owner requests, design changes, unforeseen conditions discovered during construction, or scope reductions. Each change order is signed by both owner and contractor and adjusts the contract sum and/or completion date accordingly. Well-managed projects minimize change orders by thorough up-front scoping; projects with poor up-front planning often see change orders cascade through construction.
- AIA G701 — Change Order form
- AIA contract administration standards
Adjacent definitions.
- Allowance
A budgeted line item in a construction contract for selections (finishes, fixtures) not yet specified at contract signing.
See the definition - Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP)
A construction contract pricing structure that caps the total project cost while sharing visibility into actual costs with the owner.
See the definition - Submittal
Documentation (shop drawings, product data, samples) submitted by the contractor to the owner or designer for approval before installation.
See the definition