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GUIDE FOR CONTRACTORS

How to track change orders and payments on a job

Extra work agreed to in the driveway is the easiest money to lose. The fix is simple: get it in writing before you do it, and keep one running total per job.

Updated October 28, 2026 · By DH1 Tech, built by a working general contractor in Washington

Why change orders get lost

The client asks for "one more thing" on site. You say yes, do the work, and by invoice time nobody remembers the same price, or whether it was extra at all.

What every change order should have

• What's changing, in plain words
• The price, or how it will be priced
• Any change to the schedule
• The client's approval, with the date, before the work starts

Keep one running total per job

For each job, keep these five numbers together:

1. Original contract totalWhat you signed.
2. Approved change ordersAdded to the total as each one is approved.
3. Total invoicedContract plus approved changes.
4. Payments receivedEvery payment, with the date.
5. Balance remainingWhat's still owed, and when the next payment is due.

If you can't answer "what does this client still owe me?" in ten seconds, the system isn't working.

Habits that help

• No approval, no extra work. Even for small stuff.
• Send the change order the same day it comes up.
• Take photos of the extra work before and after.
• Check the balance before each payment is due, not after.