Separate a proposal from an authorization
An AIA change order records agreement on a change and its contract adjustments. A construction change directive can direct changed work before all adjustments are agreed, under the applicable contract process. A quote, an RFI response, or a meeting note should not silently become an approved contract increase. Record the actual status and the authority behind it.
Create one review packet
Our recommended packet starts with the original scope reference, the proposed difference, and why the change is needed. Add a marked drawing or narrative, quantities, labor and equipment assumptions, supplier or trade pricing, applicable markups, and proposed schedule effects. Identify exclusions and credits alongside additions. Reviewers should be able to trace each price component without requesting the same attachment twice.
Review scope, price, and time separately
Assign a reviewer for each dimension. Resolve whether work belongs in the original scope before debating its markup. Check for overlap with prior changes, duplicated general conditions, missing credits, and scope already carried in an allowance. For schedule effects, identify affected activities and the proposed basis for added time. A cost approval should not accidentally imply agreement to an unresolved time extension.
Capture the decision and connect billing
Use distinct states such as proposed, under review, directed, approved, rejected, and withdrawn. Preserve the accepted scope, amount, time adjustment, decision date, and authorized parties. When a change becomes billable under the contract, connect it to the relevant billing line and preserve the approval evidence. For directed or disputed work, follow the contract’s interim payment process; do not present unresolved amounts as a signed change order.
Example: a credit that disappears
A $24,000 substitution proposal includes new equipment but omits the $7,000 value of equipment removed from scope. The review question is whether that omitted work requires a credit under the agreement. Ask for a net change breakdown before approval, and check that both the added and deleted scope reach the billing record.
Keep this handy
Review checklist
- Original and revised scope are clear
- Additions, credits, and markups are traceable
- Time effects addressed explicitly
- Authorized decision linked to billing
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Sources & scope
These references inform the document and workflow context. Checklists and examples are BuildProof’s editorial recommendations. The executed agreement, applicable law, and authorized project decisions control.
AIA and its document names are trademarks of The American Institute of Architects. This independent guide is not an AIA form or an endorsement. Obtain licensed documents when required. Educational guidance only; it does not replace project-specific legal, financial, or professional advice.
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