Change Orders
Change Orders in BuildOps are used to document, price, approve, and track changes to a project’s original scope of work. They provide a structured way to manage scope changes while maintaining visibility into pricing, approvals, communication, and project financials.
Change Order Overview
Each Change Order represents a formal request to modify a project’s scope, pricing, or schedule. Change Orders are tied directly to a project and can be reviewed, approved, and billed once finalized.
A Change Order includes:
Scope and pricing details
Line items by phase, department, and cost type
Attachments and supporting documents
Status tracking and approval history
Communication and activity logs
Change Order Page Layout
Each Change Order is organized into tabs to keep information easy to find and manage.
Tabs on a Change Order
Scope & Pricing - Used to define the scope of work, enter pricing, and review totals.
Attachments - Stores all files related to the Change Order, such as signed approvals or supporting documents.
Communication History - Shows emails sent from the Change Order and approval-related communication.
Activity - Displays a log of status changes and system actions for audit and tracking purposes.
Scope & Pricing
The Scope & Pricing tab is where the core details of the Change Order are defined.
Scope Details
Subject - A brief summary describing the change.
Scope of Work - A detailed explanation of what work is being added, removed, or modified.
These fields help clearly communicate the purpose and impact of the Change Order.
With Change Order V2 enabled, Scope & Pricing and COR Details are now separated, each with their own Edit and Save buttons, allowing changes without interrupting approval workflows.
Pricing and Line Items
Pricing is entered using a grid-style layout designed to support accurate and efficient entry.
Entering Line Items
Each row represents a line item
Line items are organized by:
Phase
Department
Cost Type (Labor, Material, Equipment, Subcontractor, etc.)
Data Entry Behavior
Use Tab to move between fields
Press Enter to confirm a selection
Phase, Department, and Cost Code fields are searchable
Multiple line items can be added and edited quickly
This structure allows pricing to be entered consistently while reducing manual errors.
Pricing Totals and Calculations
As line items are added or edited, pricing totals update automatically.
Displayed totals include:
Total cost
Total revenue
Margin
Pricing Rules and Edit Behavior
Pricing totals update in real time
Pricing remains visible even after billing (read-only)
Once billing has occurred, pricing can no longer be edited
Scope details and pricing save independently
Change Order Statuses
Each Change Order moves through statuses that reflect its current stage in the workflow.
Available Statuses
Draft - The Change Order is being created or edited.
Sent for Approval - The Change Order has been sent for review.
Approved - The Change Order is fully approved and available for billing.
Responded - A response has been recorded on the Change Order.
Tentatively Approved - Used for internal forecasting when approval is expected but not yet finalized.
Rejected - The Change Order was not approved.
Voided - The Change Order is no longer applicable.
Statuses can be updated using the Approve button or the ellipsis menu on the Change Order page.
The Tentatively Approved status is used for planning and forecasting purposes.
Included in budgets and WIP reporting
Not billable until the Change Order reaches Approved status
Allows teams to track expected approvals without impacting billing
Creating a Change Order
To create a Change Order:
Open the relevant Project
Navigate to the Change Orders tab
Add a Change Order Request (COR)
Fill out the fields to create Change Order request. Created On, Status, Subject, are required. Status defaults to draft.
Created On – The date the Change Order Request is created.
Status – Indicates the current stage of the Change Order Request in the workflow.
Days Valid – The number of days the Change Order Request remains valid for approval.
Schedule Extension – The number of days added to the project schedule due to this change.
Send To – The contact(s) who will receive the Change Order Request for review or approval. This pulls from your Project's Billing customer contacts.
Return To – The contact who should receive responses or signed approvals for the Change Order. This pulls the names on the personnel list.
Verbal Go-Ahead – Indicates whether verbal approval has been received prior to formal approval.
GC Purchase Order Number – The general contractor’s purchase order number associated with the Change Order.
Cost Estimate – The estimated internal cost of the Change Order.
Price Estimate – The estimated amount that will be billed for the Change Order.
Cost Estimate and Price Estimate on Change Orders do not directly control or trigger billing on the project.
Subject – A brief summary describing the Change Order.
Scope of Work – A detailed description of the work being added, changed, or removed.
4. Add pricing line items
5. Save your changes
Change Orders can be edited while in Draft or other pre-billing statuses.
Updating Status and Approvals
Change Order statuses can be updated directly from the Change Order page.
Use the Approve button for common approval actions
Use the ellipsis menu to access additional status options
Approving a Change Order
Approving a Change Order confirms that the customer or general contractor has agreed to the change.
When a Change Order is approved:
The status is updated to Approved
The approved amount is added to the project’s contract value and budget
The Change Order appears on the next Pay Application, if it falls within the pay app date range
Editing an approved Change Order returns it to Draft and requires re-approval
During approval, you will choose how the Change Order should be applied.
Approval Options
Create New Change Order
Creates a new external Change Order with its own GC Change Order number. This Change Order appears as a separate line on the Schedule of Values and Pay Applications.
Use this when
The change should be tracked as a standalone Change Order
You want it to appear as its own line on Pay Applications
Approved By dropdown pulls from the Billing Customer’s Representative / Customer Contacts on that customer.
Add to Existing Change Order
Adds the approved Change Order Request to an existing external Change Order, combining the amounts under the same GC Change Order number.
Important notes
Only Change Orders that have not been billed yet are available to select
Once a Change Order has been billed, it cannot receive additional requests
Use this when
Multiple change requests should be combined under one GC Change Order
You want a single line on the Schedule of Values and Pay Applications
Approved By dropdown pulls from the Billing Customer’s Representative / Customer Contacts on that customer.
Create Internal Change Order
Creates an internal Change Order that updates project costs only and does not affect customer billing.
Important Notes:
Internal Change Orders do not appear on Pay Applications
No revenue or contract value is added
Use this when
You need to adjust internal costs without charging the customer
The project budget needs to reflect actual costs while billing remains unchanged
For Internal change Order, Approved By dropdown pulls from your internal Personnel/employee list.
Generating and Sharing Change Orders
Use the Generate Document button to create and distribute Change Order documents.
Available Actions
Email - Sends the Change Order PDF to selected recipients.
Add to Files - Saves the Change Order PDF to the project’s files.
Clicking the arrow next to the button allows you to go directly to either option. Generated documents use the All Details configuration.
Attachments
The Attachments tab provides a centralized location for all files related to the Change Order.
This helps ensure supporting documents, approvals, and references are easy to find and tied directly to the Change Order.
Communication History
The Communication History tab shows:
Emails sent from the Change Order
Approval-related communication
This creates a clear record of when information was shared and with whom.
Activity Log
The Activity tab displays a timeline of system actions, including:
Status changes
Approval actions
System-generated updates
This supports visibility and auditability throughout the Change Order lifecycle.
Custom Tags
Custom Tags can be used to organize and filter Change Orders across projects.
Managing Custom Tags
Go to Company Settings → Custom Fields → Project COR Tags
Create and save tag names
Using Tags on Change Orders
Add tags from the top-left corner of a Change Order
Filter Change Orders in tables and reports
Tags are used only for organization and do not affect approvals, billing, or financial calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my existing Change Orders created on Change Order V1 be affected?
No. All existing Change Orders, pricing, attachments, and approval history remain fully supported.
Do I need to configure anything to use Change Orders?
No additional setup is required.
Can I edit a Change Order after it’s sent for approval?
Certain details be edited without resetting the approval workflow until billing occurs.
Can I edit pricing after billing?
No. Once billing has occurred, pricing can no longer be edited. Pricing remains visible in read-only mode.
Do Custom Tags affect billing or approvals?
No. Tags are for organization and filtering only.