A written amendment to a project's agreed scope that documents added work and its extra cost, keeping both sides aligned when requirements change mid-project.
A change order documents work that wasn’t in the original agreement. The client wants a fifth landing page after you scoped four, or a rush turnaround the timeline never assumed. Instead of absorbing it, you write a short amendment: what’s added, what it costs, how it moves the deadline.
For sellers, change orders are how you handle scope creep without being the bad guy — the request is welcome, it just has a price. For buyers, a change order protects you too: you approve the extra cost before it’s incurred, so nothing shows up on the final invoice as a surprise.
The habit that makes this painless is naming it early and neutrally: “Happy to add that — I’ll send a quick change order.” Keep them small and frequent rather than saving up one giant one at the end. A reusable change order template means writing one takes two minutes instead of derailing your afternoon.