Change Order
A written amendment that records a change to the work, the price, or the schedule — and keeps the project's paper trail clean.
AI-assisted document tools — not legal advice. A starting point you can understand and customize.
What it is
A change order is a signed amendment to an existing contract. When the scope shifts — an added room, a substituted material, a delay outside anyone's control — the change order records exactly what changed, how much it adds or deducts, and how the deadline moves. Getting each change in writing before the work happens is the single best defense against a payment dispute.
When you’d use it
- The owner or contractor wants to add, remove, or modify work.
- A price adjustment or time extension needs to be documented.
- An unforeseen condition changes the original plan.
- You want every change approved in writing before the crew proceeds.
Key sections & clauses
The parts a change order usually needs to cover. Use them as a checklist — XOsign flags the ones a draft is missing.
Reference to original contract
Which contract this change amends, by date and parties.
Description of the change
Exactly what work is being added, removed, or modified.
Reason for the change
What prompted it — owner request, field condition, or design revision.
Cost adjustment
The amount added or deducted, and the revised contract sum.
Time adjustment
Any change to the completion date or milestones.
Authorization
Signatures from both sides approving the change before work proceeds.
Understand it, translate it, strengthen it, sign it.
The same four steps behind every XOsign agreement — from the moment you upload or start a draft to the moment it’s signed.
Understand it
XOsign reads the document and explains every clause in plain language, so you know what you're agreeing to before you sign — not after.
Translate it
Read and sign in English or Spanish. XOsign presents the agreement side by side so nobody signs a document they can't fully read.
Strengthen it
XOsign flags missing, vague, or one-sided terms and suggests clearer language — so the agreement actually protects you.
Sign it
Send it for legally binding e-signature (ESIGN/UETA) with a tamper-evident audit trail and a trusted timestamp on the signed copy.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a change order instead of a verbal agreement?
What should a change order include?
Does a change order need to be signed by both parties?
XOsign provides AI-assisted document tools and does not provide legal advice. These templates are starting points you can understand and customize — not a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. Requirements vary by state and situation.
Start your change order in XOsign.
Understand every clause, translate it for whoever signs, and send it for signature — all in one place.