Change Orders: Signing a change order is an important step in communicating with your contractor

I an in the middle of a home improvement project and my contractor has asked me to sign a somehting he called a change order. Can you explain what this is and wether I should sign one or not?

Our Answer

Signing a change order, as well as keeping track of a change order is very important, especially if you want to avoid surprise costs at the end of the job. Make sure the change order specifies the change in the orginal project contract, reflects the original cost of the job and, most importantly, reflects any additional charges owed or credits due as a result of the change to the original contract.
Written communication, such as a change order, is very important in order to avoid potential misunderstandings and to create a written record of expectations should any disputes arise.