Field notes
How to Win a Commercial Electrical Change Order Dispute With the GC
Eight weeks after the work was done, the GC sends a letter rejecting the change order. The argument is always the same: "we never agreed to that scope" or "that was included in the original bid." If you have the documentation stack, you win. If you do not, you write it off.
Here is the documentation stack that wins commercial electrical change order disputes before they start.
The five-document stack that wins every change order dispute
Document 1: The original bid scope letter
Most electrical contractors send a price and a quantity. Tighter contractors send a price, a quantity, and a one-page scope letter that defines what is included and explicitly what is excluded. The scope letter is the contract. Without it, every disagreement becomes a he-said-she-said.
Document 2: The dated change-order request from the field
When the foreman finds out-of-scope work, the change-order request gets logged the day the condition is discovered. Photo, one-line description, estimated hours, suspected cause. Time-stamped. This is the document that proves the condition existed and the foreman flagged it before doing the work.
Document 3: The approved change-order quote
The change order gets priced and sent to the GC for approval. The approval comes back in writing — email, text, or signed change-order form. Verbal does not count. "Verbal authorization from Mike on site" does not count either. If Mike is willing to authorize verbally, Mike is willing to authorize by text. Get the text.
Document 4: The daily log entry from the day the work was performed
The daily log shows crew on site, hours worked, materials installed, and conditions encountered — for that exact date. It corroborates the change order and proves the work happened when it was supposed to happen, by the people who were supposed to do it.
Document 5: The invoice with the change order itemized
The change order appears as a separate line item on the invoice, with the change-order number, the approval date, and the approved amount. The invoice was sent at job completion. The GC accepted it (or did not protest within their contract's dispute window).
The dispute scenarios and how the stack wins them
Scenario A: "That was included in the original scope"
Original bid scope letter (Document 1) defines what was included. If the disputed work is not on the included list (or is on the excluded list), the GC has no argument.
Scenario B: "Nobody approved that change order"
Document 3 shows the approval. Sender, recipient, timestamp, and authorization text. Argument over.
Scenario C: "Your crew did that work, but at no extra cost — that was part of the original price"
Document 2 (the foreman's flagged change-order request from the day the condition was discovered) plus Document 4 (the daily log showing the extra hours) plus Document 3 (the approval) defeats this.
Scenario D: "The change order amount is wrong"
Document 3 is the approved amount in writing. Document 4 (daily log) shows the actual hours. If the dispute is over scope, Document 3 wins. If the dispute is over hours, Document 4 wins.
The mistakes that cost shops change orders
Mistake 1: Foreman did the work before the change order was approved. The foreman who sees the condition, calls the GC verbally, and does the work that day will not get paid for it. The change order needs written approval before the work happens. If it cannot wait, the foreman documents the emergency in the daily log and gets the written approval within 24 hours.
Mistake 2: No photos. A change order without photos is a he-said-she-said. A change order with photos of the unmarked junction box, the damaged conduit, or the missed scope is closed.
Mistake 3: Verbal approvals. Verbal does not count. Ever.
How FieldCommand handles change order documentation
FieldCommand builds the five-document stack automatically. The original bid scope letter lives in the job record. The foreman flags change orders from the field with photos. The GC approval is captured via e-signature with a timestamp. The daily log tracks crew and hours. The invoice itemizes the change order. The dispute argument is over before it starts.