How to Use the Change Order Pricing Package Prompt to Get Construction Changes Approved

On a construction project, a change order request usually gets cut or rejected for the paperwork, not the price. Missing backup, a markup the contract does not allow, or notice sent a day late can cost a contractor the whole change. The Construction Change Order Pricing Package Writer: Scope Narrative, Labor Material Equipment and Subcontractor Cost Breakdown, Markup per the Contract Change Clause, Schedule Impact Days, Backup Index, G701 Style Summary, and Notice Deadline Check prompt builds a complete package from your contract's change clause and your cost data: a notice check, a scope narrative, a cost breakdown with every multiplication shown, markup applied exactly as the contract allows, a time request, a backup index, and G701 style summary fields.

What the prompt produces

1. A notice deadline check with the event date, the notice days and form from your contract, the deadline, and what to send today.
2. A scope narrative in contract language, citing the directive, drawings, exclusions, and assumptions.
3. A cost breakdown for labor by craft, materials with tax handled as the contract says, equipment, and each subcontractor quote.
4. Markup per the change clause for self performed work, subcontractor work, and bond or insurance, marked CHECK if the clause is unclear.
5. A time impact request based on whether the work drives the critical path, with the new completion date.
6. A backup document index with exhibit letters and what each one proves.
7. G701 style summary fields with the contract sum arithmetic checked.
8. A reviewer's checklist of the questions the architect or owner's rep is likely to ask.

How to fill the inputs

ChangeClause should be pasted word for word: allowed markups, how bond and insurance are treated, the pricing method, and notice requirements. This one input controls most of the math.

ChangeEvent describes what changed, who directed it, how (an RFI answer, ASI, construction change directive, field directive, or meeting minutes), and the date.

ScopeDetails lists drawings or sketches, quantities, and what is added, deleted, or reworked.

LaborRates gives crafts, crew size, hours, and burdened rates.

MaterialQuotes covers material and equipment quotes and rental rates, with tax treatment.

SubQuotes lists each subcontractor or supplier quote for this change.

ScheduleData names the affected activities, whether they are on the critical path, available float, and the current substantial completion date.

ContractSums gives the original contract sum and the net of approved change orders so far.

Reading the example output

The example prices an owner directed wall relocation and six new floor boxes in a tenant suite after drywall was hung:

• The notice check comes first. The event was October 1, the contract allows seven calendar days, and an email saying pricing to follow does not clearly count as notice, so formal notice goes out right away.
• The scope narrative ties the work to a meeting minutes item and a sketch, and lists exclusions like floor finishes and data cabling.
• Labor math is shown line by line: two carpenters for sixteen hours each at the burdened rate, plus a laborer.
• Markup follows the clause exactly: fifteen percent on self performed work, five percent on the electrical sub, and bond at the stated rate on the change amount.
• The time request is three calendar days, because the work sits on the critical path with no float, and it reserves rights for inspection delays.
• The G701 style fields add up, from the original sum through prior changes to the new contract sum.
• The reviewer checklist predicts the pushback, such as asking the electrical sub for hours behind a lump sum quote.

Tips for better results

• Send notice first and price second. A late notice is hard to fix; a price can be revised.
• Ask subcontractors for a breakdown, not a lump sum. Reviewers often ask for it.
• Keep a photo log of the existing work before demolition. It answers many questions about scope.
• Use a schedule fragnet for any time request, even a small one.
• Number change orders consistently with your project log so the owner's team can track them.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not apply your standard markup if the contract sets a different one.
• Do not stack markups that the clause does not allow, such as markup on markup for sub work.
• Do not request days for work that only uses float.
• Do not leave assumptions unstated. Unlisted exclusions become free work.

Who it is for

Project managers and estimators at general contractors and trade subcontractors, owners of small construction firms, and project engineers who prepare change order requests for review.

Related PromptDig links

Open the Construction Change Order Pricing Package Writer: Scope Narrative, Labor Material Equipment and Subcontractor Cost Breakdown, Markup per the Contract Change Clause, Schedule Impact Days, Backup Index, G701 Style Summary, and Notice Deadline Check prompt and paste your change clause first. For more business prompts, Browse more prompts. If you have a construction admin prompt that saves you time, Share a prompt.