Change Order Electronic Signature: Sign a Construction Change Order Online
SignSend sends your change order, and a revised schedule if you need one, in a single envelope, routes it to the owner or GC to approve and back to you to countersign, and returns one executed copy with an audit certificate. No verbal deals, no unpaid extras.
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A change order is a written amendment to the original construction contract. It modifies the scope of work, the contract price, or the time to complete, and it should be signed by both the owner (or the GC) and the contractor before the added work goes forward. The single biggest reason a contractor eats the cost of extra work is a change that was agreed to verbally in the field and never signed. The crew builds it, the invoice shows up, and now the owner argues the price or the scope was never approved.
SignSend closes that gap. Upload the change order, add the owner or GC as the approver, drop in a revised schedule if the work pushes the completion date, and send. It routes for approval and back to you to countersign, and you get one completed PDF with a certificate showing who signed, when, and from where. That dated, authorized record of the new scope, price, and schedule impact is what turns extra work into paid work. This page covers how change orders get signed electronically, what belongs on the form, how a change order differs from a change directive, and the questions contractors ask before the crew starts.
Can a change order be signed electronically?
Yes. A change order is an amendment to a construction contract between two businesses, so an electronic signature on it carries the same legal weight as ink under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws. There is no wet-ink requirement and no notary. What matters in a dispute is proof that the owner or GC actually approved the specific new scope and price, and that is exactly what the audit certificate captures: the signer, the timestamp, and the version of the change order that was signed.
Signing electronically also fixes the timing problem that costs contractors money. Instead of finishing the extra work first and arguing about the price later, you send the change order the moment scope shifts, the owner approves it from a phone, and the executed amendment exists before the crew starts. The dated record of the new scope, price, and schedule impact is what gets the extra work paid.
Change order versus construction change directive
The two are not the same, and mixing them up is how contractors get exposed. A change order is a mutually agreed, priced amendment: both sides sign off on the new scope, the new price, and any schedule impact before the work goes forward. A construction change directive (CCD) is different. The owner directs the contractor to proceed with a change before the price and time have been agreed, usually to keep the job moving, and the price gets settled afterward. AIA contract forms treat the CCD as the tool for exactly that situation.
| Factor | Change order | Construction change directive |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement on price | Agreed and signed before work proceeds | Owner directs work first, price settled later |
| Who signs | Owner or GC and the contractor | Owner (and often the architect) directs; contractor performs |
| When used | Scope and cost are known and both sides agree | Work cannot wait for full price agreement |
| Best practice | Sign before the crew starts the added work | Convert to a signed change order once price is set |
The safe habit is simple: whenever you can, price the change and get a signed change order before the work proceeds. When a directive was used to keep the job moving, convert it to a signed change order as soon as the price is agreed, and route it through the same envelope so the file is complete.
Send the change order and the schedule in one envelope
A change order is rarely just a price. Extra work often pushes the completion date, and if the schedule impact is not documented at the same time, you can win the money and still get hit with liquidated damages for a delay you did not cause. Put the change order and a revised schedule in one envelope so the owner approves the price and the time impact together, and both are captured in the same executed record.
| Document | Why it is in the envelope |
|---|---|
| Change order form | The binding amendment: the new scope, the price adjustment, and the reference to the original contract. |
| Revised schedule | Shows the new completion date or added days, so the time impact is approved along with the cost. |
| Marked-up drawing or sketch | Documents exactly what the added scope covers, so there is no argument later about what was included. |
| Backup pricing (as needed) | Quantities, unit prices, or a quote from a sub that supports the price adjustment. |
What SignSend does for construction change orders
Built for the contractor who gets a verbal go-ahead on Tuesday and needs a signed change order before the crew starts Wednesday.
Signed before the work proceeds
Send the change order the moment scope shifts and get it approved and countersigned before the crew mobilizes, so the extra work is authorized in writing, not just over the phone.
Change order and schedule in one envelope
Attach a revised schedule or a marked-up drawing to the same envelope, so the owner sees the price and the time impact together and approves both at once.
Approve, then countersign in order
Route it to the owner or GC to approve first and back to you to countersign, so the fully executed change order is dated and complete before anyone lays material.
Reusable change order form
Save your standard change order form with the fields already placed and send the next one in under a minute, so a busy job does not stall on paperwork.
Flat pricing, no per-seat fees
Send five change orders or fifty for the same flat price. No per-signer charges and no envelope caps that punish a job with a lot of moving scope.
Audit certificate for the job file
Each executed change order carries every signer, the date and time each signed, and the IP address. Keep it with the job file in case a scope or payment dispute comes up later.
How to sign a construction change order online
From a verbal go-ahead to one executed change order, signed before the extra work starts.
Upload the change order
Drag and drop the change order form as a PDF or Word file, up to 50MB. Add a revised schedule or drawing to the same envelope so the owner sees the full impact.
Add signers and place fields
Place signature, printed-name, and date fields, assign the approval block to the owner or GC, add your own countersignature block, and set the signing order.
Send, countersign, and file
The owner approves from any device, it routes back to you, and when the last signature lands you download the completed change order with its audit certificate for the job file.
How change order signing compares
Most vendors bill by the seat and cap your envelopes. A single job can generate dozens of change orders, and you should not pay per head or per document to sign them.
| Feature | SignSend Pro | Typical vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $12/mo flat | $25/user/mo+ |
| Per-user fees | None | Per seat |
| Change orders per month | Unlimited | Envelope caps |
| Owner needs an account | No | Sometimes |
| Change order and schedule in one envelope | Included | Higher tiers |
| Custom signing order | Included | Higher tiers on some plans |
| Reusable templates | Included | Higher tiers |
Who signs change orders on SignSend
General contractors
Route change orders to the owner or developer for approval and get them signed before directing subs to perform the added work.
Remodelers and home builders
Homeowners approve a kitchen or bathroom change from a phone, so the added scope and price are signed before the crew starts.
Specialty trades
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical subs send change orders up to the GC and get them countersigned before running the extra work.
Owners and developers
Owners and their reps review, approve, and countersign change orders in one pass and keep one executed copy per change in the project file.
Facilities and property managers
Facility teams approve change orders on repair and buildout work and keep a dated record of every scope and price adjustment.
Change order e-signature questions
Can a change order be signed electronically?
Yes. A change order is a business-to-business contract amendment, so electronic signatures on it are valid and enforceable under the federal ESIGN Act and state UETA laws, the same as ink. No notary is required. The audit certificate that records who signed, when, and which version is the proof that holds up if a scope or payment dispute arises.
What is a change order in construction?
A change order is a written amendment to the original construction contract. It modifies the scope of work, the contract price, the schedule, or a combination of the three, and it is signed by both the owner or GC and the contractor. It documents work that falls outside the original agreement so the added scope is authorized and paid.
Does a change order need to be signed?
Yes, in practice it should be. A change order should be signed by both the owner (or GC) and the contractor before the added work proceeds. The signature is what makes the new scope, price, and schedule impact an authorized, enforceable part of the contract. An unsigned change order is the most common reason extra work goes unpaid.
What should a change order include?
A change order should include a reference to the original contract, a clear description of the added or deleted scope, the price adjustment, and any change to the completion date. Many also cite the reason for the change, backup pricing, and signature blocks for the owner or GC and the contractor, dated before work proceeds.
What is the difference between a change order and a change directive?
A change order is a mutually agreed, priced amendment that both sides sign before the work proceeds. A construction change directive is issued when the owner directs the contractor to proceed with a change before the price and time are agreed, with the cost settled afterward. A directive is usually converted to a signed change order once the price is set.
Who signs a change order?
A change order is signed by both parties to the contract it amends. On a prime contract that is the owner (or the owner's representative) and the general contractor. On a subcontract it is the GC and the subcontractor. On many projects the architect also reviews or recommends the change before the owner approves it.
Related pages
Electronic signature for construction
Contracts, change orders, and lien waivers signed on site.
Subcontractor Agreement Electronic Signature
Get every sub signed before they mobilize.
Statement of Work Electronic Signature
Sign the SOW that defines scope before work begins.
What is a change order in construction?
A plain-English guide to how change orders work.
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