A Roofing Change Order Process Your Crew Lead Can Run

A crew removes roofing material and finds damaged decking outside the agreed scope. The crew lead needs a way to document and price the added work without waiting for the owner to make every routine decision.

Use this roofing change order process: pause at the changed area, record what you found, price the added work, check the lead’s decision limit, get the customer’s written approval through the contract procedure, and check actual costs afterward.

The lead’s limit is an internal rule. It never replaces the customer’s approval of changed work.

Put these fields on one card

This one-page card is a suggested field tool. Check the job contract’s change procedure before using it.

1. Job and original scope: Job name, date, and the work already agreed to.
2. What changed: Location, condition, measurements, and photo references.
3. Added work: Proposed repair and quantities.
4. Estimated inputs: Added labor, materials, travel, fees, and other costs.
5. Customer terms: Added price and any schedule change.
6. Lead’s authority: The owner-set limit and any reason to call the owner.
7. Customer approval: Written approval and date, recorded as the contract requires.
8. Actual inputs: Added labor, materials, and other costs after the work.

Keep the card with the job record so the lead can complete it from a phone.

Run the change on site

1. Pause and document

Stop work on the area outside the agreed scope. Continue other work only if it remains within scope and is safe to complete.

Compare the discovery with the original scope. Take photos, measure the affected area, and record what remains uncertain. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends written notes and photos to flag potential changes.

2. Describe and price the added work

Write the proposed repair in plain language, with quantities. Estimate its added labor, materials, and other costs. Then record the customer price and any effect on the schedule.

Use your business’s pricing method for the price. The job-pricing guide covers the fuller estimating and cost review method.

3. Check the lead’s decision limit

Before the job, the owner should name the decisions the lead can make and when to call. The systems handoff guide recommends recording the decision owner, boundary, and review point.

Call the owner before promising the change if the proposed price or schedule effect exceeds the written limit, the scope is still uncertain, or the contract requires owner involvement. Set a limit for your own jobs and contracts; there is no universal dollar amount for this card.

4. Get the customer’s written approval

Present the added work, price, and schedule effect through the job contract’s change procedure. Obtain the customer’s written approval before starting the added work.

In AIA’s contract framework, a change order is a written agreement that can change the work, contract price, or time. Your roofing contract may use different terms and parties. NAHB and NARI recommend including a change order process in a written home-project contract.

5. Check what the change cost

After the approved work is complete, enter its actual labor, materials, travel, fees, and other costs on the card. Compare those inputs with the estimate, then compare the actual added cost with the approved price. Use the difference to review future prices and the lead’s decision limit.

Example: damaged decking

Suppose a crew exposes damaged decking outside the original scope. The lead pauses work there, photographs and measures the area, and writes the proposed replacement and quantities on the card. The lead estimates added costs, sets the customer price, and records any schedule effect.

If the scope is clear and the change fits the owner-set limit, the lead can present it for customer approval under the contract procedure. If the scope is uncertain or outside the limit, the lead calls the owner before making a commitment. After written customer approval, the crew completes the added work and records its actual costs.

Before the next job, give your lead the card, the decision limit, and access to the contract’s change procedure. Review completed cards for missing documentation and gaps between estimated and actual costs.