How to get a change order signed by text (and make it stick)

The homeowner says "yeah, go ahead" while you're standing in the kitchen. Three weeks later, the extra $800 on the invoice is "a surprise." Here's how to turn that yes into a signed change order in a couple of minutes, using the text thread you already have with your client.

Why a verbal OK isn't enough

Most change-order disputes aren't really about whether the work was done. They're about whether the homeowner agreed to the price. Memories drift, a spouse who wasn't in the room objects, or the client assumed the extra was "part of the job." A written, signed change order settles all of that before it starts.

In some places, writing isn't optional. California's home-improvement rules, for example, require extra work and change orders to be in writing and signed by the parties before the work begins (Business and Professions Code §7159.6). Contractors who skip it can struggle to collect (here's a lawyer's explainer). Other states and countries have their own rules, so check yours or ask your trade association.

What every change order should include

• Job and parties: the client's name, the job address, your company name and license number if your area requires it, and a reference to the original contract or estimate.
• A change-order number (CO #1, #2, ...) so nothing gets double-billed or lost.
• What's changing and why, in plain words: "Found rot under the sink base. Replace a 4×6 ft section of subfloor and sister one joist before the cabinets go in."
• Photos of the problem. They end most "was that really necessary?" conversations.
• A price breakdown: materials and labor as line items, or a fixed price for the change.
• The new contract total: the original price, plus previous change orders, plus this one. This is the line that prevents invoice shock.
• Schedule impact: "+1 day" or "no change."
• Payment terms for the extra, such as due with the next progress payment or due on completion.
• A signature, printed name and date from the client, and from you.

Free change order template

Copy this into your notes app or a document and fill in the brackets.

Three ways to get it signed by text

1. Paper form, then a photo by text

Fill in a paper change order, have the client sign it on site, then text yourself and the client a photo of it. It costs nothing and works if they're standing next to you. It doesn't work when they're at the office, it's easy to forget the photo, and phone-camera pictures of pencil writing are not great records.

2. "Reply YES to approve" texts

Text the full description and price, and ask the client to reply "YES, approved." It's fast and better than a verbal OK because there's a written trail. The weaknesses: there's no single clean document, the price is buried in a thread, a short "ok" can be argued about later, and a text thread is awkward to pull up years later.

If you use this method, put everything in one message (scope, price, new total, schedule) and ask for an explicit reply such as "I approve change order #3 for $800." Then screenshot the thread and file it with the job.

3. A signing link sent by text (best)

Create the change order as a document, then text the client a link where they can review it and sign on their phone. This gives you a proper document, a real signature, a timestamp and a copy for both sides, and the client can do it from anywhere in under a minute.

You can do this with general e-signature tools (DocuSign, Dropbox Sign and others). Many charge by the envelope or limit monthly sends, which hurts when you write several change orders a week, and none of them track a running total per job. That's the gap we're building ChangeOrderSignoff for.

Is an e-signature by text legally valid?

Generally yes. In the US, the federal ESIGN Act (2000) and the state electronic-signature laws give electronic signatures the same legal weight as ink in most commercial situations, including contracts like change orders. The UK, Canada and Australia have similar rules. What matters in a dispute is evidence: who signed, when, and what exactly they saw. A good signing record captures the document, the signature, a timestamp and the device details.

This is general information, not legal advice. For anything high-stakes, or if your state has special home-improvement contract rules, check with a local construction attorney or your licensing board.

Mistakes that start payment fights

• Doing the work first and writing it up later. Sign before you start the work, even if it means a 10-minute pause.
• Leaving out the new total. Clients approve "$400 here, $600 there" and are then shocked by the sum. Always show the running contract total.
• Vague scope. "Extra electrical" invites argument. "Add 2 GFCI outlets on the island, run new circuit from panel" doesn't.
• Getting only one spouse's OK when both are on the contract. Send it to whoever signed the original.
• No copy for the client. When both sides have the same signed PDF, there's nothing to argue about.