Scope-change quote checklist
1. Record the request
- Record the requester, date and exact deliverable or service change. (not complete)
- Link the request to the current quote, statement of work or approved baseline. (not complete)
- Identify the original inclusion, exclusion, assumption or acceptance condition affected. (not complete)
- Record why the change is needed without assigning unsupported blame. (not complete)
2. Assess the effect
- Estimate added or removed labour by task and role. (not complete)
- Estimate materials, subcontractors, equipment and other direct cost changes. (not complete)
- Record schedule, dependency, revision and acceptance effects. (not complete)
- Compare absorb, shared-charge and full-change scenarios where commercially relevant. (not complete)
- Check capacity and the effect on other committed work. (not complete)
3. Prepare and approve the change
- State the revised deliverable, exclusions, assumptions and completion evidence. (not complete)
- State the additional or reduced price and its tax and payment basis. (not complete)
- State the revised schedule and dependencies. (not complete)
- Identify the authorised approver and required approval method. (not complete)
- Pause if approval is missing, ambiguous or outside the agreed authority. (not complete)
4. Update the delivery baseline
- Attach the approval to the current job record. (not complete)
- Update tasks, schedule, budget and responsible people. (not complete)
- Keep the original and revised baselines identifiable. (not complete)
- Capture actual added work in the same categories used for the change estimate. (not complete)
- Include the change in the final estimate-to-actual review. (not complete)
Printable change summary
| Field | Record before work continues |
|---|---|
| Change reference | ____________________________ |
| Baseline quote or scope | ____________________________ |
| Requested change | ____________________________ |
| Added or removed work | ____________________________ |
| Price effect and basis | ____________________________ |
| Schedule effect | ____________________________ |
| New assumptions or exclusions | ____________________________ |
| Approver and approval record | ____________________________ |
| Delivery baseline updated by | ____________________________ |
Illustrative completed change summary
This fictional scenario uses user-labelled assumptions in generic currency units. It is not a legal form or recommended price.
| Field | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
| Baseline | One approved workshop and one workflow map |
| Requested change | Add a second workshop for a new team |
| Delivery effect | Eight added hours and a three-day schedule extension |
| Direct-cost effect | User estimate of 800 |
| Commercial response | Issue a change quote before scheduling |
| Approval record | Named authorised approver and dated confirmation required |
Price the changed work without erasing the original project
Keep the accepted baseline intact and model the change as an incremental decision. Record added and removed labour, direct cost, capacity and schedule effects once; then compare absorb, partial-charge and full-change scenarios. This isolates the economics of the request without silently repricing unrelated work.
| Record | Include | Do not rewrite |
|---|---|---|
| Original baseline | Accepted scope, price, planned cost, schedule and approval evidence | Do not replace it with the changed total |
| Incremental change | Added or removed tasks, cost, capacity, timing and payment effects | Do not include original work again |
| Commercial scenarios | Absorb, partial-charge and full-change results on the same incremental basis | Do not treat one scenario as an entitlement or legal conclusion |
| Approved revised baseline | Original baseline plus the authorised incremental change | Do not start added work from an unapproved total |
Calculate and reconcile the change
After the accepted baseline and incremental change are reconciled, use the Scope Creep Impact Planner to compare the entered labour, direct-cost, capacity, schedule and commercial effect. The result does not create a contractual charging right: retain the approval sequence above and stop when authority, terms or legal effect are unclear.
Related tools
- Scope Creep Impact Planner
Measure unrecovered scope change
- Construction Change Order Pricing Planner
Price construction scope changes with sequencing, delay, subcontractor and retention effects
- Project Quote Builder
Turn scoped task rows and project costs into a transparent fixed quote
- Job Costing & Margin Planner
Compare quoted and actual job economics and identify overruns
Frequently asked questions
- Does every small request need a full new proposal?
- Use the governance proportionate to the engagement, but still record whether the request is included, absorbed or charged and who approved the decision. Repeated small changes can become a material overrun.
- What if the change is urgent?
- Use any agreed urgent-change process and record the authorised exception, scope and follow-up. Urgency should not turn an unrecorded assumption into approval.
- Is this checklist a legal change order?
- No. It is a planning and recordkeeping aid. Follow the agreement and obtain appropriate advice for legal requirements.
Calculation methods used with this checklist
- Change Order Pricing methodology — Margin101: Absorb, shared-charge and full-change scenario definitions.
- Project Quote Builder methodology — Margin101: Project cost, scope and duration scenario boundaries.
- Scope Creep Impact methodology — Margin101: Incremental scope, cost and contribution-impact boundaries after baseline reconciliation.