For consultants when the client asks for more
Change Order Template for Client Projects
Four documents: a change order covering scope, timeline, fees, options and signatures, plus a cover email, a scope creep checklist and a worked example.
CR-02 · Larkfield Foods (example)
- Asked for“Can you also look at the Riverside routes?” Dana Whitlock, 11 Jan
- ImpactAdds D5, a routes memo: 5 days, $6,000. Pilot dates unchanged
- OptionsA. Now, by 29 Jan · B. After the pilot, by 12 Feb · C. Leave it out
- DecisionB, approved by email on 14 Jan. Work starts on 1 Feb
What you'll get
Price the extra request first: impact, options, signatures and a cover email
- What's changing and why, quoting the client's request
- Impact on scope, dates and fees, with three options
- A polite cover email and a scope creep checklist
Before and after
The client's request in. A change order out.
Hi Sam, the Northfield numbers look great. Can you also look at the Riverside routes? Marcus says half his late deliveries are the routes, not the cut-off. I'd like to know before the board meets on the 28th. Dana
1. What's changing and why. The request: “Can you also look at the Riverside routes?” Why it's a change: [the SOW line this falls outside]. 5. Options. A. Do it now, ready before the board on the 28th. Fee: [fee]. B. Do it after [milestone]. Fee: [fee]. C. Don't do it. The SOW stands as agreed. To confirm before you send. What's your fee for the added work? Which SOW line does this fall outside?
Fees and dates stay in brackets for you to set, and every gap becomes a question to settle before you send.
Why it works
What goes in a change order for a client project?
A change order template puts a client's extra request in writing before you do the work: what's changing, why, and what it does to the scope, timeline and fee. The UK government's change control guidance warns that unmanaged changes cause scope creep, where extra requirements are "added in an uncontrolled way". This template is for consulting and client projects, not building work. It starts as a change request quoting the client's own words, and becomes the change order once they sign.
Every change gets the same six sections. First comes the client's request, quoted, and the line of your SOW it falls outside. Then the impact on deliverables, dates and fees, with fees left for you to set. Then three options: do it now, do it later or don't do it, each with its cost and risk. The Association for Project Management defines change control the same way, with each request approved, rejected or deferred. Signatures come last, and work starts only after them.
The pack adds a short, friendly cover email and a weekly checklist for spotting scope creep early, from "while you're in there" to an extra round of comments. The worked example follows on from our statement of work template, where the client asks for something the SOW leaves out. Download it all as Word with no account, or open it in River and paste the client's request for a first draft and email. To write a SOW that makes changes easy to spot, start with the SOW generator.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the change order template
- What's changing and why
The client's request quoted word for word, what it would change, and the SOW line it falls outside. - Impact on scope, dates and fees
New deliverables with a test for done, every date that moves, and fees built from effort, left for you to set. If an associate will do the added work, the subcontractor agreement template covers their terms and your margin. - Three options and a recommendation
Do it now, do it later or don't do it, each with its dates, fee and main risk. - Approval and a change log
Signature blocks for both sides, a rule that work starts only after approval, and a running total of changes. - A polite cover email
A short email to send with it, plus versions for small changes, free favours and advising against a change. - Spot scope creep early
A weekly checklist of what clients say and do, and what your own team does, before it costs you. - An annotated example
A change order and email that follow on from our SOW example, with a note on why each part works.
How it works
From the client's request to a signed change order
Open the template
Click Edit with AI. The change order, cover email, checklist and worked example open in River.
Paste the client's request
Optional. Paste their email or message, and River drafts the change order, three options and the cover email.
Set the fee and dates
Fill in the effort, fees and dates River left in brackets, and answer the questions on the to-confirm list.
Send it and get approval
Send the change order with the cover email, and start the work once the client has approved an option.
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What is a change order?
A change order is a signed agreement to change the scope, timeline or fee of work that's already under contract. On a consulting project it amends your SOW: it names the request, its effect on deliverables, dates and money, and who approved it. Work on the change starts only after it's signed.
What's the difference between a change request and a change order?
A change request asks for the change and sets out its impact. A change order is the approved, signed result. Many consultants use one document for both: it's a request until the client picks an option and signs, then it's the order. This template works that way, numbered CR-01, CR-02 and so on.
What is scope creep?
Scope creep is extra work added to a project without a matching change to its time, cost or plan. The UK government's guidance describes it as extra requirements added "in an uncontrolled way". It usually arrives as small, friendly asks, like "while you're in there", so the checklist in this pack lists the signs to watch for.
Should I charge for small changes?
Write every change down, even if you decide not to charge for it. A favour done once without a note becomes part of the scope. If you absorb it, send the change order with a fee of zero, so the client sees the value and the next request is easier to price.
What if the client wants the work started before signing?
Ask for approval in writing first. If your SOW accepts email, a reply that names the option is enough, and the decision goes in your RAID log. If the work must start before it can be priced, agree a cap, such as up to three days, and price the rest once you know more.
How do I tell a client their request is out of scope?
Say yes to the idea and price it in the same breath. For example: "Happy to look at that. It's outside what we agreed, so I'll send you the cost and timing by Thursday, and you can decide". The cover email in this pack follows that pattern, with versions for small changes and for advising against one.
Is it safe to paste my client's email into River?
Anything you paste stays in your own River space unless you choose to share it. River's privacy policy says your content isn't used to train AI models, and River's AI providers are bound by their agreements with River not to train on it. If an NDA covers the email, check it first.
Your next step
More for your project
Say yes to more work, at the right price
Open the template with every section in place, or paste the client's request for a first draft and a cover email.