Variation order template
A variation order is a written record of a change to building work already agreed: what is being added, omitted or changed, what it does to the price and whether the completion date moves. It is signed before the extra work starts. The contract, the change, the price and the time effect are different on every job.
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What changes each time
20 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
The contract
- Variation order number
- Date
- Contract reference and date
- Project name and site address
- Client
- Contractor
- Earlier instruction confirmed: who, when and how
The change
- Addition, omission or change of specification
- Description of the change, with location, quantity and materials
- Drawings or documents
- Reason for the change
Price
- Items: description, amount added, amount omitted
- Net effect on the price
- Contract price before this variation
- Revised contract price
- When payable
Time
- Days added to the completion date
- Original and new completion dates
Signing
- Client's name and date signed
- Contractor's name, position and date signed
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Describe the change as an addition, an omission or a change of specification.”
Only the chosen label appears.
- One of several wordings
“Give the reason as requested by the client, required by building control, an unforeseen condition on site, or another reason.”
The chosen reason appears, with a description for the last two.
- One of several wordings
“Show the net effect on the price as an addition or an omission.”
Only the chosen sum appears.
- One of several wordings
“Set when the sum is payable: added to the next stage payment, payable on completion of the variation, or deducted from the next stage payment.”
Only the chosen timing appears.
- One of several wordings
“Say there is no change to the completion date, or extend it by a stated number of days.”
The original and new dates appear only when it is extended.
- Only when…
“Include the confirmation of an earlier instruction only when the order confirms one.”
The person, date and method appear.
- Only when…
“Include the note on a new right to cancel only when the client is a consumer, the order is agreed away from the contractor's premises and the change is in substance new work.”
The note says the cancellation information and form from the building contract should be attached.
- Once for each item
“One row for each item added or omitted.”
An addition and an omission give two rows, with the net effect worked out under them.
Questions people ask
What is a variation order?
A written instruction or agreement to change the work under a building contract, recording the change, its price and any effect on time.
Why get a variation in writing?
It prevents a later argument about what was agreed and what it costs. Many contracts say the contractor cannot charge for extra work unless the change was agreed in writing.
Who signs a variation order?
Both the client and the contractor.
Can a variation change the completion date?
Yes. The order says whether the date stays the same or is extended, and gives the new date.
Does a variation order affect the rest of the contract?
No. The order says that all other terms of the contract stay the same.
Use this template
It opens in DocuWeave as a template you can check, change and publish. Nothing is used until you do.