Change Order Log

Resources / During construction

Keep scope changes, cost decisions, and follow-up actions in one place. This free Change Order Log helps you track a proposed change through review and record the approved amount, schedule impact, and written decision.

What the log tracks

  • A unique change ID, date raised, scope description, drawing or proposal reference, and requester.
  • Separate proposed and approved costs in USD, including credits entered as negative amounts.
  • Proposed and approved schedule days for each change.
  • Status, written approval reference, and approval date.
  • An action owner, next action, and due date so open items have a clear follow-up.

How to use the workbook

  • Set the starting contract. On Change Log, enter your project, contractor or contract, and original contract amount. Use a separate file for each contract.
  • Add a proposed change. Assign a unique ID and describe exactly what is changing. Reference the proposal, drawing, or field note so the supporting information is easy to find.
  • Track the review. Choose Proposed or Under review. Enter proposed cost and days when known, then assign the next action and responsible person. Update the same row as the proposal develops.
  • Record the decision. Choose Approved only when you have the written decision. Enter the agreed cost, agreed days, approval reference, and date. Use Rejected or Withdrawn for changes that will not proceed.
  • Review open records. Check the Record review column for missing proposed information or incomplete approval records. Keep the supporting documents with your project records.

Yellow cells are editable. The summary and Record review column contain formulas. Enter 0 when a change is confirmed to have no cost or time impact. Leave unknown amounts or days blank until they are confirmed.

Understanding the cost summary

  • Recorded approved changes: the approved-cost amounts entered on rows marked Approved.
  • Contract plus recorded changes: the original contract amount plus the recorded approved changes. This stays blank until you enter the original contract amount.
  • Pending proposed cost: proposed-cost amounts entered on rows marked Proposed or Under review. Rejected and Withdrawn rows are excluded.

Totals use entered amounts only. A blank amount is unknown and is not included, so resolve flagged records before relying on the totals. Enter the full change amount, including applicable markups and taxes, and avoid counting those charges twice.

Review schedule impacts separately

The workbook records days for each change without adding them into a total project extension. Changes may overlap, affect different activities, or be absorbed by the schedule. Review the supporting schedule information alongside each decision.

A worked example is included

The Example and Guide sheet uses fictional changes on a house addition. It demonstrates an approved addition, an approved credit, a proposal under review, a rejected proposal, and a change with pricing still needed. These example amounts do not feed your working log.

The working sheet has 50 prepared rows, header filters, status dropdowns, and frozen headers. For more records, use another file or extend the table, formulas, dropdowns, and summary ranges together.

Keep the written decision with the log

Use the log to record and follow up on decisions. Keep the proposal, relevant drawings, correspondence, and written approval together. An entry in the log does not itself approve work or authorize payment.

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