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Why Is My Change Order Locked, and How Do I Edit It?

This article covers why locking happens, how to prevent it when you don't actually want it yet, and how to edit a CO once it's already locked.

Written by Angelene Rosario

Why Is My Change Order Locked, and How Do I Edit It?

A Change Order (CO) becomes locked as soon as it's included on a Pay Application — this includes Pay Applications still in Draft status. You do not need to have billed or invoiced the CO for it to lock. Being on a Pay App locks the CO, whether or not that Pay App has been sent, approved, or paid.

Why Are Change Orders Locked?

Once approved, a CO appears on the next Pay Application whose billing period includes the CO's approval date. The moment that happens — even in a Draft Pay App — BuildOps locks the CO to protect:

  • Billing integrity — accurate cumulative totals across Pay Applications

  • Revenue and tax records tied to those Pay Applications

  • Document history, for auditing

While locked, a CO cannot be edited, voided, or unapproved from the UI. This restriction is also enforced on the backend — BuildOps Support and Engineering cannot override it either.

Common misconception: "I haven't billed this CO yet, so I should still be able to edit it." Billing (invoicing/posting) is not what triggers the lock — inclusion on any Pay App, including a draft you haven't sent, is what triggers it.

How to Avoid Locking a CO You're Not Ready to Bill

If you know you want to keep editing a CO a while longer, the fix is to keep it off Pay Applications in the first place:

  • Don't approve the CO yet. A CO only pulls onto a Pay Application once it's Approved. If it's still in Draft or Sent for Approval, it won't lock.

  • If it's already approved, adjust the Pay Application's billing period so it falls before the CO's approval date. A CO only appears on a Pay App if the approval date falls within that Pay App's billing period — shifting the period excludes it.

Either approach means the next Pay Application generated won't pull in the CO, and it stays editable until you're ready.

How to Edit a Change Order That's Already Locked

There are two different situations here — figure out which one you're in before you start.

Situation 1: The CO details are correct, but the billed amount is wrong

If nothing about the CO itself (price, scope, SOV mapping) needs to change — you just billed the wrong amount on a specific Pay App — you don't need to touch the CO at all:

  1. Open the affected Pay Application.

  2. Go to its Schedule of Values (SOV).

  3. Adjust Work Completed This Period (or equivalent) on the CO's line to reflect the correct amount.

  4. Save and update the Pay Application.

No voiding required.

Situation 2: The CO itself needs to change (price, description, SOV mapping, or status)

This requires temporarily removing the CO from every Pay Application that references it:

  1. Find every Pay Application that includes the CO — including drafts.

  2. Void them, most recent first. Voiding out of order can leave cumulative totals inconsistent.

  3. Hard refresh your browser (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R) to clear the UI lock state.

  4. Open the CO. It should now be back in Draft. Make your edits, save, and re-approve.

  5. Regenerate the Pay Applications in chronological order so cumulative totals stay accurate.

If the CO still shows as locked after voiding, double-check for any remaining draft or older Pay Applications that still reference it — void those too, then refresh again.

Alternative: Skip voiding entirely

If you'd rather not void a Pay Application:

  1. Change that Pay Application's billing period so it no longer covers the CO's approval date.

  2. Save the Pay Application.

  3. Move the CO back to Draft, make your edits, and re-approve it.

Limitations to Know

  • Invoices: A CO included in an invoice can't be unapproved or edited.

  • Backend edits: Fields locked in the UI cannot be unlocked or edited by BuildOps Support or Engineering under any circumstances.

  • Required fields: If a CO won't save, check that all required fields (e.g., Description) are filled in on every line item.

  • Accounting sync: If you're integrated with an accounting system, coordinate voiding/regenerating Pay Apps with your accounting team so export cycles and document numbering stay aligned.

Troubleshooting

Issue

Fix

CO still shows locked after voiding

Confirm all referencing Pay Apps — including drafts — are voided, then hard refresh.

Empty item box error when saving a CO

Fill in all required fields on that CO line item before saving.

Save button won't activate after editing pricing

Click into any field on the form — this registers the change and enables Save, even if nothing else was modified.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does a CO have to be billed to lock?

No. Inclusion on a Pay Application — even a draft, even at $0 billed — is what locks it.

Q: Can I unapprove a CO once it's on a Pay App?

Not directly. You'll need to void the referencing Pay App(s) first, which returns the CO to Draft.

Q: What's the easiest way to keep editing a CO longer?

Don't approve it until you're ready to bill it, or set the Pay Application's billing period to exclude the CO's approval date.

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