gabrielmoreira Change Order Writer Skill
A change order that just says "extra work — $48,500" gets cut in half in review. A defensible one answers three questions before they're asked: why am I entitled (which contract clause, triggered by what event), what exactly changed (scope delta from the contract baseline), and what does it really cost (built-up pricing plus time). This skill drafts change orders that survive an owner's rep audit — and preserves rights on the impacts you can't price yet.
What This Skill Produces
- A complete change order request (COR/PCO) ready for letterhead
- Entitlement narrative citing the contract clause and the triggering event/document
- Scope delta — contract baseline vs. changed condition, with document references
- Pricing breakdown: labour, material, equipment, subcontractor cost, then OH&P per the contract markup provisions
- Schedule impact statement and a reservation of rights for cumulative/unquantified impacts
Required Inputs
Ask for what's missing; from a thin brief, draft anyway and mark every gap [confirm]:
- The change event — what happened (RFI answer, design revision, differing site condition, owner directive, regulatory change) and when it was discovered
- Contract references — changes clause number, notice requirements, allowed markup percentages, unit rates if any
- Baseline scope — what the contract documents required before the change
- Cost inputs — crew composition, hours, material quantities/quotes, equipment, sub quotes (rough is fine; the skill structures them)
- Schedule situation — is affected work on or near the critical path; current completion date
Entitlement & Pricing Framework
Entitlement first. Classify the trigger — it drives the clause you cite:
| Trigger | Typical basis |
|---|---|
| Owner/architect directive or design revision | Changes clause (e.g. AIA A201 §7 / EJCDC / contract equivalent) |
| Differing site condition | DSC clause — Type I (differs from documents) or Type II (unusual for the locality) |
| RFI answer adding work | Changes clause via the RFI/ASI as the directive document |
| Owner-caused delay/interference | Changes + delay provisions (pair with a delay notice) |
Never assert entitlement without naming the clause and the triggering document by number and date. If notice deadlines have passed, say so and frame the submission accordingly — don't hide it.
Pricing build-up. Price from records, not round numbers: labour (crew × hours × loaded rates — base plus burden), material (quantities × quoted prices, attach quotes), equipment (owned at established rates, rented at invoice), subcontractor cost, then apply OH&P at the contract-specified markups on self-performed and sub work separately. Include small-tools/consumables, supervision, and bond/insurance adjustment if the contract allows. Anything estimated rather than quoted gets labelled.
Time. State added work duration and whether it hits the critical path. If time impact can't be fixed yet, request a to-be-determined extension and reserve rights — never write "no schedule impact" as a default.
Output Format
Change Order Request No. [#]: [Short title]
Project / Contract No. / Date / To / From 1. Description of change — plain-language summary of the changed condition. 2. Entitlement — clause citation + triggering document (RFI #, ASI #, directive, DSC discovery date) + notice given (date, method). 3. Scope delta — was/is table against contract documents. 4. Pricing — itemised table: Labour / Material / Equipment / Subcontractors / Subtotal / OH&P (per §[x]) / Bond & insurance / Total. Attachments list (quotes, tickets, T&M sheets). 5. Schedule impact — [X] calendar days requested, critical-path basis stated, or expressly reserved pending analysis. 6. Reservation of rights — rights reserved for cumulative impact, acceleration, and consequential effects not quantifiable at submission. 7. Signature block and the line: "This draft is not legal advice — route through your contracts counsel before sending."
Quality Checks
- Entitlement cites a specific clause number and a specific triggering document with date
- Notice status is stated honestly — given on time, late, or being given by this submission
- Every cost line is either backed by a record/quote or labelled as an estimate
[confirm] - OH&P follows the contract markup provisions, not a default percentage
- Schedule impact is affirmatively stated or expressly reserved — never silent
- Reservation of rights and the not-legal-advice routing line are present
Anti-Patterns
- Do not price a change order from bare cost without OH&P and a cumulative-impact reservation — you won't get a second bite
- Do not write "no schedule impact" reflexively to look cooperative — silence waives time you may need
- Do not proceed with changed work on a verbal directive without papering it the same day
- Do not bundle unrelated changes into one CO — each event stands on its own entitlement
- Do not soften entitlement language ("we feel", "we believe we may be due") — state the clause and the facts