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Document a change order before it becomes a dispute

Today

The homeowner asks for one more thing while you are on site. You say yes, the crew does it, and nobody writes it down until you are trying to justify it on the final invoice.

With Claude

You describe the change in a sentence and get back a written change order with the scope difference, the reason, the schedule impact, and signature lines. It goes out the same day, before the work happens.

The prompt

Paste this into claude.ai and replace anything in brackets.

You are drafting a written change order for a [trade] contractor on a residential job. The goal is a clear record both sides sign before the extra work happens.

Original contracted scope, the relevant part only:
[paste the relevant lines from the original scope]

What changed and why:
[describe in your own words, for example: homeowner wants the panel moved to the garage wall, or we found rotted sheathing under the second layer]

Who requested it: [customer request / field condition we discovered / other]
Schedule impact: [none / adds about X days / pushes completion to DATE]

Write a change order with:
1. A change order number and date line, left as [CO #] and [DATE] for me to fill in
2. One sentence stating what is changing, in plain language
3. Work added, as specific line items
4. Work removed or credited, if any
5. Reason for the change, written factually and without blame
6. Schedule impact
7. A line stating that pricing for this change is [PRICE] and is due [TERMS]
8. Signature and date lines for customer and contractor

Rules:
- Do not calculate or suggest any price. Leave every dollar figure as a placeholder.
- Stay neutral in tone. Someone deciding a dispute may read this document later.
- Do not reference code sections, permit requirements, or inspection outcomes. If this change likely triggers a permit or an inspection, add a short note at the end telling me to verify that with my local building department.

What to skip in contracting and home services businesses

  • Pricing the job. Claude does not know your labor burden, your material costs, your local market, or the margin you need to stay in business, and a number that looks reasonable is the most expensive kind of wrong. Keep pricing in your own estimating system and use Claude only for the words around the number.
  • Code compliance, permit requirements, and load or sizing calculations. Adopted code cycles and local amendments vary by jurisdiction, and Claude has no reliable way to know what your building department enforces this year. Verify with your local authority having jurisdiction or the licensed engineer of record. Drafting the list of questions you bring to them is a fair use.
  • Contracts, preliminary notices, and anything with a statutory deadline. Mechanics lien timing and contract terms are state specific, and getting them wrong can cost you the right to collect. Have a construction attorney write those templates once, then reuse them.

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Before you try it

More for contracting and home services businesses

Full guide for contracting and home services businesses