A contractor finished a $400,000 whole-house remodel. Beautiful work. Happy client. Then the client's attorney sent a letter disputing $52,000 in change orders — because none of them were formally signed.
The work was done. The materials were bought. The subs were paid. But because every change order was a verbal agreement or text message, the contractor had no legal standing. He ate the $52,000.
Why Change Orders Fall Through the Cracks
- Client says "while you're at it, can you also..." on the jobsite
- Contractor says "sure, that'll be about $3,000 more"
- Client nods
- Nobody writes anything down
- Three months later, nobody agrees on what was said
Change orders account for 5-10% of total project cost on average. On a $500K project, that's $25,000-$50,000 in undocumented scope changes.
What a Proper Change Order Process Looks Like
- Document it immediately. From your phone, on the jobsite.
- Line items and amounts. Break it down: materials, labor, markup.
- Digital signature. Client approves before work begins.
- Auto-update financials. Contract value, billing milestones, and budget adjust automatically.
How Opsite Handles Change Orders
- Create from your phone: On the jobsite when the client asks for a change.
- Client signs digitally: Timestamped, legally binding approval.
- Contract auto-updates: New draws created for the additional amount.
- Over-allocation protection: Prevents COs from exceeding budget.
- Full audit trail: Every CO logged with timestamps.
The rule is simple: if it's not signed, it doesn't exist.