Change order log template
A change order log tracks every change on a job from request to approval to billing, with a running revised contract sum. Download this template as a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, or print it for the OAC meeting.
A change order log template is the running list of every change on a job. Each row is one change: where it came from, what you asked for, what was approved, how many days it added, whether it has been billed, and what the contract sum is now. The individual change order is the signed paper; the log is how you keep track of all of them without digging through email.
The log earns its keep in two moments. At the owner meeting, when someone asks what is still pending. And at closeout, when you need to prove that every approved dollar made it onto a pay app.
What a change order log is for
Most money lost on changes is not lost on price. It is lost on changes that were approved and never billed, changes that were requested and never followed up, and credits nobody remembers agreeing to. A log with a status column and a billed column catches all three. It also gives you a clean record of time: days requested against days granted, which matters if the schedule slips and liquidated damages come up.
Keep one log per job and update it the same day anything changes. If you also track change order requests or potential change orders separately, link them with the reference column so a request can be traced to the final change order.
How to fill in each column
- CO no.: the sequential change order number. Rejected numbers stay on the log; do not reuse them.
- Source reference: the RFI, ASI, field directive, or owner request that started it.
- Description: one line on the scope. The full scope lives on the change order itself.
- Date submitted and date approved: the gap between them is your approval cycle time. Watch it.
- Amount requested and amount approved: keep both. Negotiated reductions are useful when pricing the next change.
- Days requested and days approved: schedule impact, in the same units your contract uses.
- Status: pending, approved, rejected, or in dispute.
- Billed on: the pay application where the approved amount was billed, or not billed.
- Revised contract sum: original contract plus every approved change so far. Pending and rejected rows do not move it.
Common mistakes
- Adding pending amounts to the revised contract sum, which overstates what the owner owes you.
- Logging only approved changes. The pending ones are the ones that get lost.
- Not recording the approved days, then arguing about the completion date later.
- Forgetting to flow approved changes down to the affected subs, so your margin pays for their extra work.
- Keeping the log in a PM's personal file where accounting cannot see it at billing time.
Related forms and guides
Write each change with the construction change order template, then follow how to track change orders across projects and how to invoice change orders without delays. Approved changes become new lines on the schedule of values template, and many trace back to an entry on the RFI log template.
Smart Business Automator keeps the change order log tied to approvals, so status, approved amount, and revised contract sum update when the owner signs. See change order approval automation.
Change order log
| CO no. | Source reference | Description | Date submitted | Date approved | Amount requested | Amount approved | Days requested | Days approved | Status | Billed on | Revised contract sum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CO-001 | RFI-012 | Add 4 duplex outlets in break room | 2026-05-04 | 2026-05-07 | 943.00 | 943.00 | 0 | 0 | Approved | Pay app 3 | 480,943.00 |
| CO-002 | Field directive FD-04 | Replace rotted sill plate, east wall | 2026-05-11 | 2026-05-15 | 2,240.00 | 1,989.50 | 3 | 2 | Approved | Pay app 3 | 482,932.50 |
| CO-003 | ASI-03 | Upgrade lobby tile to 24x48 porcelain | 2026-05-18 | 6,842.50 | 3 | Pending | Not billed | 482,932.50 | |||
| CO-004 | Owner request | Delete exterior bike rack, owner to furnish | 2026-05-22 | 2026-05-23 | -1,430.00 | -1,430.00 | 0 | 0 | Approved | Pay app 4 | 481,502.50 |
| CO-005 | Inspection report | Add fire blocking at soffits | 2026-06-02 | 1,380.00 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | Rejected | Not billed | 481,502.50 | |
| CO-006 | RFI-019 | Add wall blocking for 6 TV mounts | 2026-06-09 | 2026-06-12 | 1,150.00 | 1,150.00 | 1 | 1 | Approved | Pay app 5 | 482,652.50 |
- Sample data only. The example assumes an original contract sum of 480,000.00.
- Revised contract sum = original contract sum + all approved amounts to date. Pending and rejected rows do not change it.
- Use negative amounts for credits (deductive change orders).
- Keep rejected change orders on the log with a note on why, so the number sequence has no gaps.
- Review the billed on column before every pay app. Any approved row marked not billed should go on the next one.
Frequently asked questions
What is a change order log?
It is a running list of all change orders on a project with their source, amounts, schedule impact, status, and billing, plus the revised contract sum after each approved change.
Who keeps the change order log?
Usually the project manager or project engineer, with accounting reading it at billing time. Owners and architects often keep their own version, so compare logs at each OAC meeting.
Should pending change orders be in the revised contract sum?
No. Only approved change orders change the contract sum. Track pending ones separately so you can see the exposure without overstating the contract.
Can I use this change order log in Excel?
Yes. Download the CSV, open it in Excel or Google Sheets, and add a formula that adds each approved amount to the previous revised contract sum.
