# Price and document a change order before doing extra work

A change order with cost breakdown, schedule impact, and justification that the owner or GC can approve quickly.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Legal, Write, Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/price-and-document-a-change-order-before-doing-extra-work

## Prompt

```text
Help me write and price a change order.

**Contract type and my role:** [e.g. "sub to a GC on AIA A401", "prime contract with homeowner"]
**What changed and why:** [OWNER REQUEST / DESIGN CHANGE / HIDDEN CONDITION / RFI RESPONSE - with dates]
**Reference documents:** [RFI #, ASI, DIRECTIVE, EMAIL, SHEET]
**Added or deleted work:** [QUANTITIES]
**My rates:** [LABOR RATES, EQUIPMENT RATES, MATERIAL QUOTES]
**Markup allowed by contract:** [e.g. "10% OH and 5% profit on self-performed, 5% on subs"]
**Schedule impact:** [DAYS AND WHICH ACTIVITIES]
**Change order notice deadline in my contract:** [e.g. "written notice within 7 days"]

Return:
1. A change order cover summary: description, reason, reference documents, total cost, and requested time extension.
2. A cost breakdown table: labor (hours x rate), material, equipment, subs, markup, total. Show credits for deleted work separately.
3. A schedule impact statement tied to specific activities, not a bare day count.
4. A short cover email asking for written approval before work proceeds.
5. A checklist of what to attach (photos, quotes, timesheets, RFI).

Rules:
- Apply only the markup my contract allows.
- Never invent quantities or prices; use [ADD] where missing.
- If the notice deadline may have passed, say so and suggest I talk to my contract administrator or attorney.
- Include a reservation-of-rights line for impacts not yet known, and note I should verify its wording with my attorney.
```

## What to fill in

- RFI #, ASI, DIRECTIVE, EMAIL, SHEET
- QUANTITIES
- LABOR RATES, EQUIPMENT RATES, MATERIAL QUOTES
- e.g. "10% OH and 5% profit on self-performed, 5% on subs"
- DAYS AND WHICH ACTIVITIES
- e.g. "written notice within 7 days"
- ADD

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.