The Most Common Reasons You May Require a Change Order During Your Build

When you build a home, you may end up with a change order during the building process. This order is an official request for more funds and/or time to complete the revised contractual obligations. There are several reasons a change order may be needed during your build.

Usually, a construction change order is related to about five different issues. They may be a bit of a pain to deal with, but sometimes, a change order is necessary. Here are some of the most common reasons you may need a change order while building your home.

Design Changes

It's rather common for a design change to cause a change order during the building process. Maybe the builder or developer started construction without a completed project scope or something happened to cause a design change to become necessary. This is most common with design-build projects, where the design can be worked on during the building process.

Drawing Errors

When an error or omission happens with the drawing, it could cause a change order. It may be something as simple as an inadequate detail or a failure to have a complete set of drawings created. Errors and omissions happen and they often cause change orders during the building process.

Soil Issues

A less common reason for change orders, but still rather common is a soil issue. This is a bit more unforeseen as it can happen and nobody really expected it to happen. When an inadequate soil study is done, it can lead to challenges builders were not prepared for. This can lead to a necessary change order to ensure the build can be completed properly.

Substitutions

Maybe your home building plan included specific materials that have since become unavailable. When there's a shortage of necessary supplies, a substitution has to be made, which results in a change order. This will include a request for a credit if the cost of the new materials is less than the original materials.

Another type of substitution that could cause a change order is when the owner decides on an upgrade during the construction process. This may cause a larger amount of money to be necessary to cover the cost of the better materials used during the construction process.

Poor Budgets or Schedules

Sometimes, the budget was poorly thought out or the construction schedule wasn't very good. This may cause a change order to be necessary as the work may not be delivered on time or within budget. Of course, delays from weather and unforeseen circumstances can also cause a change order to be necessary.

Change orders can be costly if they are not handled properly. They can lead to more issues if the change order isn't dealt with promptly. Make sure you hire a home builder that knows how to anticipate change orders and handle them quickly so that your project will stay on schedule and get completed on time or close to on time.