Stop doing free work: change orders that get signed and paid

How free work happens

The client walks the job and asks the lead for "one more outlet" or "a slightly bigger niche." The lead says sure. Nobody writes it down. At the end of the job the invoice is higher than the quote, the client doesn't remember agreeing to it, and you either eat the cost or argue about it.

It is rarely one big change. It is a dozen small ones, each too small to stop and write up.

What a change order agent does

1. Catches the request wherever it shows up: a text, an email, or a note or voice memo from your crew.
2. Logs it on the job with photos and the client's exact words.
3. Prices it from your rate sheet and notes any schedule impact.
4. Sends it for signature after you approve it, so the client signs before the work starts.
5. Adds it to the next invoice through the Billing Agent.

What a good change order includes

• What changed, in plain words, with a photo when possible.
• The added (or removed) cost.
• Any change to the finish date.
• A signature line and date.

Why it protects the relationship too

Clients don't like surprises on the final invoice. A signed change order for each extra means the last payment is a formality, not a negotiation, and it gives you a clean record if there is ever a dispute. The Job Log Agent adds the daily photos to the same record.

Want to see how your company handles a lead today? Our free lead-leak audit calls your company like a real homeowner and shows you the results.