ConstructionOnline provides powerful, integrated tools engineered for the management of construction change orders from creation to completion. To learn more about the recommended process for the creation, review, and approval of Change Orders in ConstructionOnline, visit our Change Order Workflow here!

Can I save a Change Order as a template to reuse later?

No, you cannot save a Change Order as a template in ConstructionOnline. However, you can duplicate an existing Change Order and send the copy to a different Project or Project Template. Duplicating Change Orders allows your team to quickly replicate and modify Change Orders that are repetitive or similar in scope across your projects.

Additionally, Change Orders are one of the many project management elements that can be saved within a Project Template; Project Templates serve as a standardized roadmap for project creation, saving construction companies valuable time & minimizing error by instantly generating the project's Scope of Work, Estimate, Change Orders, and more.

Why can't my subs see Change Orders for the Project?

There are a couple of reasons why your subcontractors—added to the system as TeamLink™ Users—may not be able to view a Change Order in the TeamLink Portal.

Not added to the Project: first, check to see if the subcontractor has actually been added to the Project Team. TeamLink Users must be added to the Project to view any information relevant to the Projects they have been assigned to.
TeamLink Permissions: has your company has enabled permissions for TeamLink Users to access Change Orders? Within TeamLink permissions, ensure the checkbox for "Change Orders - TeamLink Users can view Change Orders they're assigned to " has been marked.
Not added to the Change Order: subcontractors must be added as Assigned Resource(s) to each Change Order they have been assigned to. Check to see if the sub has been added within the Edit Change Order modal; if they aren't listed under "Assigned Resource(s)", they do not have access to the Change Order in their Project Portal.

Can I approve a Change Order for a client?

Yes! If you are a Company Admin User or a Non-Admin Company User with permissions for Change Orders set as "Can Create, Edit, & Delete", you can approve a Change Order on behalf of your client.

Step-by-step instructions can be found in the article Approve a Change Order for a Client.

Can my clients electronically sign a Change Order?

Yes! With ConstructionOnline's convenient ClientLink Portal, your clients can easily sign off on the Change Orders they approve. When your client approves a Change Order within the Portal, they will be prompted to electronically sign the Change Order. Without entering their signature, your client will not be able to approve the Change Order.

Can I edit a Change Order after it has been approved?

Yes, you can edit a Change Order after it has been approved. However, some elements of a Change Order cannot be edited without reverting the Change Order back to a Pending status. Any edits made to the Markup & Price of a Change Order, such as Unit Cost or Quantity, will revert the Approved Change Order to "Pending". Other components of an Approved Change Order, such as the Name or Item Image, can be edited without impacting the Status of Change Order.

Can I print client signatures from Change Orders?

Yes! You can print signatures from construction change orders by generating a professional, print-ready proposal or contract for each individual Change Order entered in ConstructionOnline. Once a client electronically signs and approves a Change Order in the ClientLink Portal, their signature can be included on a generated Change Order Proposal or Contract. When creating a Change Order Proposal, mark the checkbox "Include Signatures" to display the signature(s) of approval. Change Order Contracts will automatically include any signature(s) of approval.

If a client has yet to sign and approve a Change Order, the Change Order Proposal/Contract will include a blank line labeled "Owner" for the client's signature—convenient for any instances where the client prefers to sign a hard-copy of the proposal. Change Order Proposals/Contracts will also include signatures from any Company Users who have approved the Change Order.

How do I show added time in a Change Order?

To show added time in a Change Order, enter the number of additional days in the "Added Workdays" field. This field allows you to note a delay in a Change Order. However, recording a delay within a Change Order does not automatically add the additional time to your project schedule; schedules must be manually adjusted to reflect the added time from a Change Order. The total added time for all Approved Change Orders in a Project can be viewed in the Added Cost/Time dashboard.

How do I apply markup to a Change Order?

Markup can be applied to a Change Order via manual entry or default markup settings, which will automatically apply markup to a change order.

You can manually enter markup for both types of Change Orders in ConstructionOnline: Lump Sum and Detailed Change Orders. When setting the price of a Change Order during initial creation, you can manually enter a Markup Type and Markup value for each line of the Change Order. Manual entry is the only option for applying markup to a Lump Sum Change Order.

If you are working with a Detailed Change Order, you can take advantage of company-wide Change Order Markup Settings. Once set, these default markup settings will automatically apply markup to the line items on every single Detailed Change Order created within the company account—reducing the need for manual markup entry.

Where do Change Orders appear in my Estimate?

Each Project Estimate within ConstructionOnline has a designated "Change Orders" tab. Here, you can view all Approved, Rejected, and Pending Change Orders for the Project. Additionally, if a Change Order has been linked to an Estimate Subcategory, you can view the linked Change Order cost when drilled into the specific Estimate Subcategory. The cost will appear under the "C.O Cost" column. You can also view the Subcategories linked to these Change Orders by hovering over or clicking on the corresponding link icons 🔗 within the "Change Orders" tab .

Can I set up universal/automatic markup settings for my Change Orders?

Yes, you can set up automatic markup settings for Change Orders in ConstructionOnline. However, these settings are only available for multi-line change orders—meaning they will apply to Detailed Change Orders but not Lump Sum Change Orders. ConstructionOnline's Change Order Markup Settings allow you to select & customize specific markup calculation(s) for Change Order line items. Once set, these global markup settings will automatically apply to the line items on every single Detailed Change Order created within your company account.

Can I link a Change Order directly to an Estimate line item?

No. However, you can link a Change Order to an Estimate Subcategory. Due to accounting integration requirements, only Estimate Subcategories can be linked to Change Orders as QuickBooks requires Change Orders to be sent at the Subcategory level. Within the "Change Orders" tab of your Estimate, you can view any Subcategories linked to your Change Orders by hovering over or clicking on the corresponding link icons 🔗 shown for each linked Change Order.

Step-by-step instructions for linking a Change Order to an Estimate Subcategory can be found in the article Link a Change Order to an Estimate.

Do Change Orders automatically impact my Company Overhead & Margin totals?

No. Values from the Company Overhead & Margin section of your Estimate are based on the original contract; Change Orders do not affect nor apply to Company Overhead & Margin totals calculated from your Estimate. If you want to account for additional direct or indirect costs (such as overhead), you can apply a direct markup to each Change Order. Markup can be applied manually or via Change Order Markup Settings.

Will Change Orders automatically send to QuickBooks when approved?

It depends on your company's QuickBooks Settings for Change Orders. Within these settings, you can choose to automatically send Estimates and/or Invoices to QuickBooks Online for Approved Change Orders. To enable these settings, click the grey three-dot menu found within the Change Orders Overview pane. Select the option "QuickBooks Settings", then choose the "Change Orders" tab. Here, you can select what actions should occur when a Change Order is approved by a builder (Company User) or client (ClientLink User).

What is the difference between a Lump Sum and Detailed Change Order?

A Lump Sum Change Order is represented by one single line, or cost. Lump Sum Change Orders are most commonly used when the cost of the change order can be defined as an exact amount. Detailed Change Orders break down the cost of a change order into itemized lines with their own individual tax & markup methods. Each line may be associated with a different cost, such as materials, labor, or additional fees.

Have more questions?

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