Change Order Log and Unapproved Exposure Worksheet
On a long ETO project, five small changes can quietly consume the margin on the whole job. A disciplined change order log is the cheapest control available: it shows what has been asked for, what has been priced, what has been signed and what is still just a verbal yes.
| CO number | Date raised | Description | Status | Our cost | Quoted price | Approved amount | Schedule days (days) | Margin on quote | Margin % | Unapproved exposure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$6,200 | 25.2% | $0 | |||||||||
$7,700 | 19.8% | $2,900 | |||||||||
$3,600 | 26.9% | $13,400 | |||||||||
$5,200 | 18.7% | $27,800 | |||||||||
$1,100 | 21.2% | $5,200 |
Exposure is quoted price minus approved amount, so it includes negotiating, submitted, rejected and withdrawn items. Filter the table by status when you review: negotiating items are a collection risk, rejected ones may be sunk cost. Keep one row per change order and never edit an approved row; add a new change order for revisions.
Assemble the change log from your ERP automatically
Optional: a private agent can pull project changes and job cost and flag unapproved work.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the log
Add a row whenever a customer, engineer or site team raises a change, even before it is priced. Update the status as the change moves from draft to submitted, negotiating and approved. Enter your cost and quoted price, and only enter an approved amount when the customer has signed. The computed columns show margin and unapproved exposure, and the totals give approval rate, blended margin and the schedule days added. Export it to Excel for the weekly project review.
- One row per change, numbered in sequence
- Approved amount stays zero until signed
- Review the log at every project meeting
What the numbers mean
Unapproved exposure is quoted price minus approved amount. A high number means you are doing or have done work you have not been paid for. Approval rate shows how your change orders land with customers: a low rate suggests either overpricing, weak justification or work done ahead of authorization. Blended margin on quotes should be compared with your base project margin; if change orders earn far less, you are pricing them at cost to keep the peace. Schedule days are cumulative, so use them in any delay discussion.
Process notes for ETO shops
Most contracts require written authorization before extra work begins, and the right to payment can depend on following that notice process. Give project engineers and site leads a short rule: no work on a verbal change. Tie each change order number to a work order or project task in the ERP so cost collects against it, which makes the cost column accurate. At close-out, reconcile the log to the final invoice to catch unbilled approved amounts.
Common mistakes
Teams keep the log in several spreadsheets, record verbal approvals as approved, forget to log customer-caused delays that have no price, or never reconcile approved amounts to invoices. Another is bundling several changes into one change order, which makes partial approval hard to track.
- Do not delete rejected rows, they show where cost was incurred
- Log schedule-only changes with a zero price
- Reconcile to invoices monthly
Frequently Asked Questions
What should count as a change order?
Any customer-directed or contractually justified change to scope, schedule or specification that affects cost or time. Log them early, including ones you may absorb, so you can see the total cost of change and decide consciously what to charge.
Why track rejected change orders?
Because the cost of the work may already have been incurred, and rejected items are evidence of scope pressure. They also help you judge which pricing and justification approach works with each customer.
How is unapproved exposure calculated?
It is the quoted price minus the approved amount for each row. Summing it shows the revenue that is quoted but not yet authorised. It includes items under negotiation and those rejected, so read it with the status column.
Can this feed revenue recognition?
It supports it, but accounting policy decides when unapproved change orders may be included in the transaction price. Share the log with your controller and follow their guidance.
If your change orders sit in email threads and ERP notes, Netray can build a private agent that assembles this log and flags unapproved work against live job cost. Ask for a demo.
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