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Change order template for freelancers
A mid-project “quick favor” is often unpaid work in disguise. A simple change-order habit lets you stay polite, stay paid, and keep a paper trail.
Freelance agreements are usually short. That is fine until a client asks for something that was never in the signed scope. If you start the extra work first and invoice later, you absorb the risk: the hours are already spent, and the client may push back on the bill.
A change order is just a short written confirmation of the new work, the price, and any effect on the deadline — signed or clearly approved before you start. You do not need legal jargon. You need a clear record both of you can point to later.
A simple freelancer workflow
- Pull up the signed scope. Paste the deliverables you already agreed to, including anything you explicitly excluded.
- Compare the new request. Is it already covered? Clearly extra? Or too vague to decide?
- Price only the extra work. Hours × your rate, plus materials and a rush surcharge if the deadline is tight.
- Send a short note and wait for approval. “Reply approved and I’ll get started” is enough in many relationships. For larger amounts, use a one-page form.
- Log it. Date, request, verdict, price, and due date. This is what you refer to at invoice time.
ChangeOrder can do the middle of that process in about 30 seconds: paste the scope and the request, get a verdict (in scope, out of scope, or unclear), an estimate, and a polite draft reply you can edit. The free tier allows 3 change orders a month in the browser. Drafts are suggestions, not legal advice.
What to put on the form
- Project name and both parties
- A reference to the original scope or contract
- A plain-language description of the change, and why it came up
- Labor hours and rate, materials, and a total
- Any new delivery date
- A place for you and the client to approve
If you want a printable form, a running log, a pricing spreadsheet, and five polite scripts, the $9 Contractor Change Order Template Pack is an instant PDF + Excel download. Pair it with the free ChangeOrder tool when you want a drafted reply quickly.
Try the free tool — paste your signed scope and the new request. Free tier: 3 change orders a month. Drafts are suggestions, not legal advice.
Open ChangeOrder $9 template pack (PDF + Excel)