Change Order Management
Get paid for every change. Not just the original quote.
TradeShield is change order management built for independent tradesmen. Price the extra work, send it for signature, and lock it into the job — all from your phone, in under two minutes.
of specialty contractors say change orders are getting more frequent every year.
of unpaid extras every year on jobs without a documented change order trail.
to price, send, and capture both signatures on a change order in TradeShield.
How change order management works in TradeShield
Built into the same workflow as your quotes. No separate document, no spreadsheet, no email chain.
- Step 1
Open the locked job
From any locked job on your dashboard, tap Change Order. The button is always active — even after the job is signed and locked.
- Step 2
Price the change
Use the same builder as your quotes — labour by role, materials with markup, fuel surcharge. The customer never sees cost or margin.
- Step 3
Send for signature
Send by email, text, or share link. The customer reviews on a clean page with zero contractor UI and signs on their phone.
- Step 4
Lock it in
Once both parties sign, the change order nests under the original quote and the revised total updates automatically.
What makes our change order software different
Dual signatures, always
Nothing reaches Locked status until both the contractor and customer sign. No verbal agreements, no he-said-she-said.
Nests under the original quote
Change orders live inside the parent job — not as separate documents. The revised total is always current.
Customer-safe pricing
The customer view never shows cost prices, markup, or margin. Ever. Just the sell price and the scope.
Real-time status
Your dashboard updates the second the customer signs, rejects, or requests changes.
Phone-first
Built for the truck and the job site. 44px tap targets, native numeric keyboards, works one-handed.
No login for customers
Customers sign via a unique share link. No account, no app download, no friction.
Change order FAQ
The answers contractors and customers ask most about construction change orders.
What is a change order?
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A change order is a written agreement between a contractor and a customer that modifies the original scope, price, or schedule of a signed job. It documents extra work, material substitutions, or timeline shifts so both parties stay aligned and the contractor gets paid for what they actually do.
What is a change order in construction?
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In construction, a change order formally amends the original contract once work is already underway. It covers added scope (new circuits, extra fixtures, rework), unforeseen site conditions, customer-requested upgrades, and any cost or time impact. Both the contractor and customer must sign before the change becomes part of the job.
Why does change order management matter for small contractors?
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Most disputes and unpaid invoices on small jobs trace back to verbal agreements about extras. A clear change order process — priced, signed, and stored — is the difference between getting paid for additional work and eating the cost.
What should a construction change order include?
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A solid change order includes a description of the change, itemized labor and materials, the new total, schedule impact, payment terms, and signatures from both the contractor and customer. TradeShield builds all of this automatically.
How does TradeShield handle change orders?
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Change orders nest under the original locked quote as subsections — never as separate documents. You price the change with the same builder you use for quotes, send it to the customer, both sides sign, and the revised total updates automatically.
Do I need both signatures before the change order is binding?
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Yes. TradeShield requires both the contractor and customer to sign every change order before it moves to Locked status. Until both signatures are captured, the job stays in a pending state on your dashboard.
Stop eating the cost of extras.
Build a change order in under two minutes. Free while in beta — no credit card, no login required to start.
Build your first change order