Change Orders
Change orders are one of the most important documents in residential construction. When the homeowner upgrades their countertops, the inspector requires a structural fix, or you hit unexpected rock during excavation, a change order (CO) formally captures what changed, what it costs, and who approved it.
Baulit gives you a complete change order system that ties directly into your project budget, so approved changes automatically update your financial picture without manual data entry.
What Is a Change Order?
A change order is a written agreement that modifies the original scope, cost, or timeline of a construction project. In Baulit, every CO includes a sequential number (CO-001, CO-002, etc.), a title, a reason category, a description, original and new amounts, a linked task, and optional file attachments.
COs serve two purposes: they protect you legally by documenting agreed-upon changes, and they keep your budget accurate by flowing approved costs into the right line items automatically.
Creating a Change Order
The 4-Status Workflow
Every change order moves through four stages. Each stage controls what can be edited and what happens to your budget.
Draft
Every new CO starts as a Draft. All fields are fully editable: title, description, amounts, linked task, and attachments. You can also delete a Draft entirely if the change is no longer needed. Drafts are visible only to Admins and Managers.
Submitted
When you click Submit, the CO is locked for editing and enters the review queue. This represents a formal request — you are documenting that a scope change needs to happen and presenting its financial impact. Only an Admin or Manager can move it forward from here.
Approved
When an Admin approves a CO, three things happen automatically. The CO status changes to Approved and becomes permanently locked. A cost line item is created on the linked task reflecting the delta. Your project budget totals update immediately to include the approved change.
Rejected
If a CO is not approved, the Admin rejects it with a written reason. The CO is locked with a Rejected status, no budget changes occur, and the rejection note is permanently attached for future reference.
Tracking Original vs. New Amounts
Every CO records two dollar figures: the original amount (what was budgeted before the change) and the new amount (the revised cost). Baulit calculates the delta automatically.
| Field | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Original Amount | $12,000 | What the work was originally budgeted at |
| New Amount | $15,500 | The revised cost after the scope change |
| Delta | +$3,500 | Automatically calculated (new minus original) |
A positive delta means an increase to the project budget. A negative delta represents a credit — for example, when a homeowner downgrades a finish selection. The delta is what flows into the budget when the CO is approved.
Attaching Files
Each change order supports up to 5 file attachments. Common attachments include subcontractor quotes, revised drawings, material specifications, site photos showing unforeseen conditions, and homeowner email approvals.
Files are stored in your project's secure storage and are accessible from the CO detail view. Attachments are included in the printed CO document as a reference list, though the files themselves are not embedded in the print output.
Print View
Every change order has a Print button that generates a professional document you can hand to a homeowner for signature or file in your project records.
The printed CO includes your company letterhead (pulled from your Company Profile), the project name and address, the CO number and date, the full description, original and new amounts with the calculated delta, and signature lines for both parties.
Use your browser's print dialog to print a hard copy or save as PDF. Many builders print COs at the job site and get the homeowner's signature before work proceeds.
Budget Integration
The real power of Baulit's change order system is automatic budget integration. When a CO is approved, the delta creates a cost line item on the linked task. The task's estimated cost updates, the project budget summary on the Budget tab recalculates, and the EAC (Estimate at Completion) reflects the change.
This means your budget stays current without manual adjustments. Every approved change is documented, traceable, and reflected in your financial reporting automatically. For more on how costs work in Baulit, see Budget & Cost Tracking.
AI CO Narrative
Writing a professional justification for a change order takes time. Baulit's AI can draft one for you based on the CO title, reason, and amounts.
Change Order Numbering
Baulit assigns CO numbers automatically and sequentially within each project: CO-001, CO-002, CO-003. Numbers are never reused, even if a Draft is deleted. This ensures every CO has a unique, permanent reference number for correspondence, invoices, and contracts.
Viewing CO History
The Changes tab shows all COs for the project. Use the status filters at the top to narrow the list to Draft, Submitted, Approved, or Rejected. Click any CO to open the full detail view with description, amounts, attachments, and approval or rejection notes.
For industry best practices on managing change orders, see the Change Order Practices guide in the Builder's Library.