What is Change Orders?

Change orders arise whenever the actual execution of a project deviates from the originally specified scope. Additional work means tasks performed beyond the original specification, compensated separately. Reduced work means a portion of the original scope is omitted, reducing the contract price.

In Dutch construction, change orders (meer- en minderwerk) are governed by the UAV 2012. Articles 35–38 describe how additional work must be notified, how the price is calculated (unit rates, actual cost, or fixed markup), and the deadlines for submitting change order statements.

A frequent source of dispute: the contractor performs additional work without obtaining prior written approval from the client, then claims payment as a change order. The client disputes that any instruction was given. Verbal agreement is extremely difficult to prove in a change order dispute.

In IT and professional services contracts, the equivalent process is change management or change control. Every change in scope, timeline, or budget requires a written change request, approved by both parties before the additional work begins. Without this, there is no enforceable right to additional payment.

Reduced scope (minderwerk) has a mirror dynamic: if the client withdraws part of the scope, the contractor is generally entitled to reimbursement of costs already incurred and compensation for lost profit on the omitted work, even though the work was never done.

Undefined or poorly managed change orders are one of the most common causes of construction and project disputes. Unclear scope at the outset, verbal approvals, and missing written records lead to large claims at project close.

A solid contractual change order procedure, agreed unit rates or day rates for common variations, a clear approval process, and a written-only rule, saves significant time, money and relationship capital when the inevitable scope changes arise.