Free CO template · Excel

Free Construction Change Order Template

The form every GC, owner, and architect knows. Scope, cost breakdown by trade, schedule impact, tri-party sign-off.

✓CO / PCO header with running contract totals
✓Scope-of-change narrative block (5 lines)
✓Reason / justification block
✓Cost breakdown — Labor / Material / Equipment / Sub / Other
✓Direct cost + markup % + grand total
✓Schedule impact (days, new completion, critical path Y/N)
✓Contractor + GC + A/E sign-off blocks

Change Order Template

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Paper / Excel

✗ Hand-writes the form on the jobsite
✗ Re-types into Excel at the trailer
✗ Emails the PDF back to the office
✗ No audit trail, no signatures
✗ Data never feeds payroll or the budget

Field PM

✓ Fill out from a phone in under 3 min
✓ Photos, signatures, and audit log built in
✓ One-click PDF for the GC and owner
✓ Data feeds payroll, budget, and reports
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Frequently asked questions

PCO or CO — which do I send first?

PCO (Pending Change Order) is the proposal. CO (Change Order) is the executed agreement. Issue a PCO with cost + schedule impact, the owner reviews, then you both sign the final CO.

Is this similar to AIA G701?

Yes — same elements: project info, scope of change, cost summary, schedule impact, and a 3-party signature block. Use this on jobs without a contract-mandated AIA G701 or ConsensusDocs 202.

What markup should I include?

Direct cost (labor, material, equipment, sub) is computed at actual + markup. Industry-standard markup ranges 10-20% on direct labor / material / equipment, 5-10% on subcontracted work. Your contract should specify allowed rates.

Change orders are where projects make — or lose — money

A Change Order (CO) is the formal contract amendment that captures scope, cost, and schedule changes. A Pending Change Order (PCO) is the proposed version that goes out for review. Both follow the same shape; this template covers either case.

Use this template on any job that doesn't have a contract-mandated AIA G701, ConsensusDocs 202, or DBIA C-561. The fields, sign-off flow, and cost breakdown match every major US standard.

Tip: most PMs maintain a change-order log in parallel — Field PM auto-tracks all PCOs and COs against the project budget, so your contract sum stays accurate in real time. Pair this with our RFI template; most COs originate from an RFI response.