Change order
also known as change request
A written, approved record of any change to a project's scope, timeline or fee before the extra work begins. The antidote to scope creep.
For example, midway through a build the client asks for an extra integration. Rather than absorbing it, the agency issues a one-page change order: +$2,500, +one week on the timeline, signed off by email before any work starts. The relationship stays clean because nobody is surprised by the next invoice.
Why it matters to your firm: change orders let you say yes to extra work without eating the cost. They keep scope creep visible and billable, protect your margin and timeline, and reassure clients that pricing is fair and transparent rather than arbitrary.
What a change order records
- What is changing
- The added cost
- The timeline impact
- Any new assumptions
- Sign-off from both sides, before work starts