Estimate type: during construction
Construction change order pricing, with a free template
A construction change order is only as strong as the pricing behind it. Bidmere measures what was added and deleted, prices it at your rates and builds the backup your change order request needs.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price agreed before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- Single-trade estimates in 48 hours
- Your rates, your markup, your final number
Revision 3: split Office 206 into two offices
| Added scope | Change |
|---|---|
| Partition type A, new | +15LF |
| Door, frame and hardware HW-1 | +1EA |
| Wall preparation and paint | +250SF |
| Receptacles, switch and relocated fixture | +4EA |
| Supply diffusers, added and relocated | +2EA |
Quick answer
Construction change order pricing from Bidmere gives subcontractors and general contractors a priced breakdown of added and deleted work, measured from revised plans, bulletins or directives. You get quantities, labor, material and equipment at your rates, markups per your contract and a backup narrative. Single-trade pricing is priced from $195, ready in 48 hours.
What is a construction change order?
A construction change order is a written change to the contract’s scope, price or time, signed by the parties the contract names. On federal work, FAR 2.101 defines a change order as a written order, signed by the contracting officer, directing a change the Changes clause allows without the contractor’s consent.
Most change orders start as something else:
- A revision, bulletin or sketch from the architect that changes drawings after bid
- A request for proposal for a possible change, often called a proposal request or PCO
- A directive to proceed now and settle the price later, such as a construction change directive
- A field condition that differs from the documents
The contractor answers with a change order request (also called a change order proposal): the priced scope, the time impact and the backup. Once the owner accepts the price and time, the parties sign the change order and the contract sum changes.
AIA’s standard forms follow the same path: G709 Work Changes Proposal Request, G714 Construction Change Directive and G701 Change Order. Your contract governs which forms and steps apply.
How is change order pricing calculated?
Change order pricing is a small, detailed estimate of the changed scope only. AACE Recommended Practice 56R-08 lists change orders among the uses of a Class 1 estimate: detailed unit costs from a detailed takeoff.
- Compare the documents. Lay the revised sheet over the prior one. Clouds do not always catch every change.
- Measure added and deleted work. Take off both, by line, in SF, LF, EA or CY.
- Price direct costs. Labor hours and rate, material, equipment and lower-tier subcontractor quotes for each line.
- Credit deleted work. Price deletions the same way, net of material already bought or installed.
- Add time-related costs. If the change extends the schedule, show extended general conditions separately.
- Apply markups as the contract allows. Overhead, profit, bond and insurance, at the percentages and tiers your contract states.
- Write the backup. Sheet references, a narrative of what changed and the quotes behind each number.
The result is a number an owner’s reviewer can check line by line. That is what gets a change order approved without a long negotiation.
Change order template: what a change order form should include
A change order form records the agreement. Your pricing backup sits behind it. A complete change order template has these fields:
- Project name, contract number and change order number
- Date, and the revision, bulletin, RFI or directive that started the change
- Description of the change, with drawing and specification references
- Cost breakdown: labor, material, equipment, subcontract, markup
- Credits for deleted work, shown separately
- Original contract sum, prior approved changes, this change and the new contract sum
- Change in contract time, in days, and the new completion date
- Reservation of rights language, if your contract allows it
- Signatures and dates for contractor, owner and architect as required
Bidmere’s free change order template is a Word form with a pricing sheet in Excel, built on these fields. Many owners require their own form or AIA G701. In that case, attach the pricing sheet as backup.
What deadlines apply to a change order request?
Notice deadlines are where valid change orders are lost. Read the changes and claims articles of your contract before you start pricing.
On federal construction, the Changes clause at FAR 52.243-4 is a common reference:
- You must assert your right to an adjustment within 30 days after receiving a written change order, unless the government extends the period.
- For a change ordered orally or by other conduct, no adjustment covers costs incurred more than 20 days before you give written notice.
- No proposal is allowed after final payment.
Private contracts set their own notice periods, often shorter. Send written notice first. Price second. A late price can be fixed. A missed notice often cannot.
What costs do contractors miss in change order pricing?
Most underpriced change orders leave out cost that never shows on the revised sheet:
- Demolition and disposal of work already installed
- Restocking fees and non-returnable material
- Rework in finished areas: patching, paint, ceiling tiles
- Added trips, remobilization and lift rental
- Supervision and project management time
- Extended general conditions when the schedule moves
- Lower-tier markup the contract allows
- Bond premium on the added contract value
- Permit, inspection and engineering fees
- Escalation if work is pushed into a later price period
Deleted scope has its own trap. Credit only what you will truly save. Material already bought and labor already spent are not savings.
Have plans for this scope? Send them over. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteSample change order takeoff
The fictional example below shows how a revision is measured before it is priced. Each line ties to the sheet that changed. Prices are left off because they come from your rates.
Change order pricing service: what you send and what you get
Send the change and your contract terms. We return the quantities, the priced breakdown and the backup. Your team reviews, negotiates and submits.
You send
- The revised sheets, bulletin or directive and the prior version of each affected sheet
- The changes and markup terms in your contract
- Your labor rates, material pricing and equipment costs
- Subcontractor or supplier quotes for the change
- Field notes or photos from your team, if relevant
You get
- Added and deleted takeoff compared with the prior document set
- Priced breakdown of labor, material and equipment by line at your rates
- Markup summary applied as your contract states
- Backup narrative with sheet references
- Delivery as an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions
Not included: negotiating with the owner or architect, schedule delay or claims analysis, site visits, and signing or submitting the change order request.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Item | Quantity | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partition type A, new | +15 | LF | A-201 Rev 3, full height to deck |
| Door, frame and hardware HW-1 | +1 | EA | Door schedule A-601 Rev 3 |
| Wall preparation and paint | +250 | SF | Both faces of new partition |
| Receptacles, switch and relocated fixture | +4 | EA | E-201 Rev 3 |
| Supply diffusers, added and relocated | +2 | EA | M-201 Rev 3 |
| Ceiling grid and tile removed and replaced | +40 | SF | Along new partition line |
| Carpet tile deleted under partition | -8 | SF | Credit only if not yet ordered |
Fictional example: Revision 3 splits an invented Office 206 into two offices. Quantities only; pricing uses your rates.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will I lose control of my number?
No. We price with your rates and contract markups. You review each line and decide what to submit.
Who is responsible for the change order request?
Your company. Bidmere prepares the pricing and backup. Your team signs, submits and negotiates.
Can you turn a change around fast?
Single-trade pricing is ready in 48 hours from your accepted quote and complete documents. A rush option is quoted when capacity allows.
What if the owner disputes a line?
Each line carries its sheet reference and pricing basis, so your team can answer questions with the backup in hand.
Monthly estimating plans
Pricing changes every week? Put them on a monthly plan.
Busy jobs produce a steady stream of bulletins and proposal requests. Monthly estimating plans cover recurring pricing work: $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids, $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids or $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids. Every plan uses your rates and your markups.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a change order and a change order request?
A change order request, also called a change order proposal, is the contractor’s priced offer for a change: scope, cost, time and backup. The change order is the signed agreement that changes the contract sum or time. Requests are negotiated. Change orders are executed. Bidmere prices the request. Your team submits and negotiates it.
How much does change order pricing cost?
Single-trade change order pricing is priced from $195, with 25% off your first estimate. Multi-trade changes are from $1,150. You get a fixed quote within 2 business hours of sending the revision, and you pay only after you accept the fixed price and delivery date.
What do you need to price a change?
The revised plans, bulletin or directive, the prior version of each affected sheet, the changes and markup terms in your contract, and your labor rates and material pricing. Add supplier or subcontractor quotes for the change if you have them. Your team approves the final amount before it is submitted.
Do you price deleted work as a credit?
Yes. Deleted quantities are measured and priced the same way as added work, and the credit is shown separately so the net change is clear. We flag deleted items that may already be purchased or installed, because those are not true savings. Your team decides what credit to offer.
How detailed should change order pricing be?
As detailed as a bid estimate for the changed scope. AACE RP 56R-08 lists change orders among the uses of a Class 1 estimate, built from detailed unit costs and a detailed takeoff. Show quantities, units, labor hours, rates, material and markup by line, with the sheet reference for each.
Is there a free change order template?
Yes. Bidmere’s free change order template is a Word form with an Excel pricing sheet. It includes the change description, cost breakdown, credits, contract sum and time changes, and signature blocks. If your owner requires AIA G701 or its own form, use that form and attach the pricing sheet as backup.
What markup is allowed on a change order?
Whatever your contract says. Many contracts set overhead and profit percentages by tier, cap lower-tier markup, and say whether bond and insurance can be added. Send the changes article with your request and we apply those terms. Do not assume a standard percentage.
Do you include schedule impact?
We show time-related costs, such as extended general conditions, when you give us the time impact. We do not perform schedule delay or claims analysis. If a change affects the critical path, have your scheduler or claims consultant quantify the days before the request goes out.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.