Blog topic
Change orders
Cause classification, notice deadlines, and the difference between owner scope and a design gap.
Change ordersCause classification: owner scope, design gap, unforeseen, coordinationFour causes cover almost every change on a GMP project. Each one points at a different fund, which is why the owner should name the cause early.May 22, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersOwner scope change or design gap: the same duct conflict, two different billsOne duct, one beam, one PCO. Whether it lands on the owner or the architect depends on a question most owners never ask out loud.May 19, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersUnclassified change orders and the thirty day ruleGive every change order thirty days to get a cause. After that, the facts are gone and the default answer is usually the owner.May 16, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersNotice deadlines: the clock that nobody on the owner's side is watchingThe contract gives the contractor a set number of days to give notice of a change. If nobody on the owner's side counts those days, the clause does nothing.May 13, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersFrom PCO to executed change order: the lifecycle owners should trackA PCO is not a change order, and an approved change order is not yet a cost. Tracking the states in between is how an owner sees real exposure.May 10, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersUnforeseen conditions: what the contract says about who paysRock, water, buried tanks, old foundations. The contract usually puts these on the owner, but with conditions attached that owners rarely check.May 7, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersCoordination changes and MEP clashes: which fund they belong toWhen ductwork, piping and conduit fight for the same ceiling space, the fix is real cost. Under most CM at risk contracts it is the contractor's cost.May 4, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersThe change order register: fields an owner should keepMost owner change logs have a number, a description and a price. The fields that answer the hard questions later are the ones usually left out.May 1, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersMarkup on change orders: fee, general conditions and insuranceThe direct cost of a change is visible. The markup on top of it is where the contract rates, the subcontractor tiers and the owner's attention all meet.Apr 28, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersDesign errors and omissions: recording them so recovery is possibleRecovery from the architect's carrier is rare, and it is impossible without a record. Most owners give up the option by never keeping one.Apr 25, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersChange order exposure by cause: splitting owner cost from contractor costA single exposure figure mixes owner cost with cost the contractor should carry. Split it by cause and the owner's actual position appears.Apr 22, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersTime and material change orders: the controls an owner should insist onT and M is the right way to price some changes and the wrong way to price most. When it is used, the owner needs daily tickets, rates and a cap.Apr 19, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersWho changed the cause, and when: the audit table behind every changeThe final cause on a change order is an answer. The history of how it got there is the evidence. Most registers keep only the answer.Apr 16, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersDisputed change orders: keeping a record that holds up laterDisputes are settled on paper, long after the work is done. The owner who kept the dates, the documents and the positions usually has the shorter meeting.Apr 13, 2026 · 4 minChange ordersHow a single classification moves the shared savings poolClassification does not only decide who pays this month. On a contract with shared savings, it also decides how much the contractor is paid at the end.Apr 10, 2026 · 4 min
One next step
See the cause register on a project like yours.
Thirty minutes on a call. The change order register with causes, the audit trail, and the notice clock, on a fictional project.