An HVAC change order template doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to answer what I check, in the order I check it. When it does, your change moves. When it doesn’t, it sits on my desk until I push back.
I worked the tinner trade for about four years, and I’ve been in construction more than twenty years. Now I manage projects for a general contractor in Salt Lake, and I review subcontractor change orders every week.
This post is written from the GC side, to HVAC and sheet metal subs. The same template works for any trade.
What I look at first on a change order
I look at the total first. If I got a rough cost (ROM) before the work, I check whether the total is in line with the ROM. Then I make a quick gut call. Either that’s a fair deal, or something seems off.
After that:
- I check the itemization and tally the hours.
- I check the backup, like vendor quotes and T&M tickets if it was a tracked change.
- I check that the scope described matches what was asked for.
- I check whether your rates match the unit rates in the contract for that item.
That last one is the same idea I went through in unit price change orders.
Itemize it, don’t send a lump sum
The thing subs leave off most is an itemized breakout. They’d rather show a lump sum.
I don’t like lump sums. Nothing in a lump sum can be tracked, or compared to other changes that were itemized. The first estimate on a job is usually a lump sum, maybe with some alternates and unit rates for future changes. That’s fine for a bid. On a change order, the lump sum is usually the first thing I get, until I push back. Then the breakouts show up.
I usually just say it how it is. I do not accept lump sum pricing on changes. Most contract language requires some kind of breakout on change orders anyway.
What goes on an HVAC change order template
Here’s what I want to see on every change. Build your HVAC change order template around it.
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Your change number | Your own internal number |
| GC authorization number | The number the GC gives it, once there is one |
| Description | What changed, where, and why, with the sheet and grid |
| Labor | Only the people who worked on it, with name, title, date, hours, and standard, overtime and premium rates |
| Material | Itemized, with vendor quotes attached |
| Equipment | Itemized |
| Subtotal, tax, markup, total | Overhead and profit as its own line, tax on a separate line |
| Schedule impact | Days added, or “none” |
| Backup | Signed tickets, photos, quotes, and the original drawing next to the revised one |
How to write the description
Here’s a good one, for a duct offset around a beam:
“Work performed on the [size] x [size] supply trunk line at grid A and 7 on sheet [xx], to modify for a beam in conflict with 8 feet of duct. The offset was measured, and new pieces were supplied to replace the duct. The duct was modified in the field to fit the new pieces around the beam. See attached photos and backup.”
Here’s a bad one for the same work:
“Moved duct to miss beam. Super signed ticket.”
The good one tells me where, what and why, and it points to the backup. The bad one makes me go find all of that myself. And I am not in a hurry to do that.
Labor on the change order template
List only the people who worked on the issue. If they didn’t work on it, they don’t go on it. For each person, I want:
- Name.
- Title.
- Date of the work.
- Labor hours.
- Note as standard, overtime or premium time with rate.
Watch the foreman time. I’ve seen a foreman write a ticket and put himself on it for a couple of hours to do the paperwork. Then two more issues come up, and he puts himself on those for a couple of hours each. Next thing you know, the foreman has 6 to 8 hours of change order time for doing his job, which is leading the crew on site. Owners will usually accept an hour or two for tracking work on changes. A whole day gets noticed.
I went through standard, overtime and premium time in time and material tickets.
Backup a GC can check
Photos, signed tickets, material quotes and a marked-up drawing all count. I want all of them attached to your HVAC change order template.
A marked-up drawing alone isn’t enough, though. Show me the original next to the new. Seeing them side by side is the easiest way for me to tell what changed.
Put schedule impact on the change order
If you don’t document it, it didn’t happen. If a sub leaves time off the change and asks for it later, the answer is no, unless they can really prove it.
Give schedule impact its own line on your HVAC change order template. If the change adds days, put them there. If it doesn’t, write “none.”
Your number and the GC’s number
Use your own form and your own numbers. Subs have their own software, and they need their internal numbering. We put your change into our software.
That’s why I like having both numbers on it. Your sequence number and our authorization number, side by side, link the two systems together.
Why some change orders go through clean
It comes down to experience. Newer subs don’t focus as much on descriptions, and they come up a little short on documentation. Experienced subs lean hard on documentation and make their change order log a priority. They know that if it’s tracked, they can argue it.
If a change is tracked well and sent in on time, it gets paid quickly. I went through the log in subcontractor change order log.
The side job version
On a residential side job, a text or a one-page estimate is enough. Homeowners don’t need to see all the forms we use on commercial work. They want a quick answer at a fair price.
Keep it to one page with very little fine print. Get the agreed change in a text or an email, do the work, and get paid. It needs to be in writing, and electronic is best.
Don’t hand a homeowner a log of open and closed items. It would confuse them. If you want to track your follow-ups for yourself, that’s fine. Pricing the change is covered in how to price a side job.
Keep them in the field for quick use
The Change Log Template will help you keep track of what is extra. The Field Extras Starter Sheet is one page. It has the checklist I’d run before saying yes to any extra, how to figure your floor price in three lines, and what to say when somebody wants a number on the spot. It’s free.
Common questions
What should an HVAC change order template include?
Your change number and the GC’s authorization number, a clear description with sheet and grid, itemized labor, material and equipment, subtotal, tax and markup on separate lines, schedule impact, and backup.
Will a GC accept a lump sum change order?
Yes they will. Lump sum changes are not transparent and usually lead to questions. I always push back on lump sum. Most contracts require some kind of breakout on change orders. Send it itemized.
What backup should go with a change order?
Signed tickets, photos, material quotes, and the original drawing next to the revised one.
Can I ask for more time after the change order is approved?
If the schedule impact wasn’t on the change, expect a no unless you can really prove it. Put it on the change order the first time.
Do I need a change order form for a residential side job?
No. A text, an email or a one-page estimate is enough, as long as the agreed change is in writing.