How to get client approval on a change order
Updated November 10, 2026
The rule is simple: written approval before the work. The hard part is that the client is rarely standing next to you when the change comes up. Here is how to keep the job moving without doing unpaid work on a verbal “sure, go ahead.”
Set expectations at the start
At contract signing, tell the client how change orders work: “If something changes, we’ll send you a change order with the price and any extra days. Nothing extra gets done until you approve it.” Clients who hear this up front don’t take a change order personally later.
Send it while the crew is still there
Speed matters. A change order sent the same hour, with photos and a clear price, often gets approved during the client’s lunch break. One sent at the end of the week waits until Monday, and your crew waits with it.
Make it easy to say yes on a phone
- Plain title and reason, no trade shorthand.
- Line items, not a lump sum.
- The schedule impact in days.
- One clear action: approve or decline.
Capture a real record
A thumbs-up emoji is not much of a record. At minimum, keep the name of the person who approved, the date and time, and the exact version they approved. If you edit the price after sending, send it again rather than letting the client approve an old number.
What to do when a client declines
A decline is still useful: it is on the record, so the scope question is settled. Ask whether they want a different option, then send a new change order for that. Don’t do the declined work “as a favor” unless you have decided to eat the cost.
When the client won’t answer
Follow up once by phone. If the change is hidden damage that has to be dealt with before you can continue, explain that the work on that area is paused until they decide. Your contract’s change order clause is your friend here; it should say what happens to the schedule while a change is pending.
Want the client’s yes on record without printing anything? SignedChangeOrders is free for 3 change orders a month, or grab the free printable change order template.