How To Create a Change Order

A change order is an amendment to the original job budget or contract value. A change order can be used when a customer requests additional scope of work, costs increase or decrease, or funds need to be reallocated during the project management stage.

ℹ️ For internal budget changes (e.g. materials or contractors), use the Builder Gain/Loss feature. See this article for more information.

To create a new change order, navigate to Jobs > select the relevant Job > Job Financials > Change Orders and click . Once the side menu opens, enter a Name, select the cost category from the drop-down menu, add a description (this will appear on any change order documents shared with the client and in the client portal), then click  Save to finalise.

ℹ️ You also have the option to link a selection set using the drop-down menu. See this article for further information.

Scroll to the Cost section and click Add Item to enter your line item details. Add a cost item under the relevant cost category by creating a new item or selecting one from your catalogue. Enter the Item Type, Qty, UOM, Price Ea and Markup as required. Repeat this process as needed.

If the change order relates to an existing allowance, select it from the Allowance Allocation drop-down. The remaining balance and any previously allocated amounts will display. If the full allowance is not used, you can tick Credit Remaining to apply an allowance credit. This will appear as a negative amount and can be used to offset a future invoice. See this article for further information.

The Attachments section allows you to include supporting documents for the client to review as part of the change order. Simply drag and drop files into the upload area, or click Browse to select files from your computer.

You can also create a change order directly from the Job Budget. Navigate to the relevant Job > Job Financials > Budget, then use the tick box on the left-hand side to select the cost item. Once selected, a pop-up menu will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click Create Change Order to open the side menu, enter a name, optionally select a cost category and add a description, then click Save to confirm.

A new change order will be created, automatically populating and linking the selected cost item(s). If you would like the costing items visible to your client, tick the box next to Owner Price.

💡 You can communicate with your clients by clicking Messages in the top right of the screen. Clients can respond directly within their client portal.

Once all change order details have been completed, you can download a PDF copy for your records or proceed with finalising the change order. Click Save and Release to send it to the client for approval. Once approved, the change order will automatically update the Job Budget.

If the client has already approved the change order outside of JACK, click Save and Approve to manually record the approval and finalise it without sending it to the client again.

💡 Remember, you can revert a change order after approval if updates are required, provided it has not yet been added to an invoice.