For consultants when the client asks for more
Change Order Template for Client Projects
Turn a client's extra request into a priced, signed change order before you start, with a cover email, a scope creep checklist and a worked example.
Part by part
What goes in each part of a change order
Fill in the parts in this order, because each one feeds the next: you can't price a change until you know what it adds. The template is written for consulting and other client projects run under a statement of work (SOW). For building work, use our construction change order form.
| Part | What to write | The mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| What's changing and why | The client's request word for word, who asked and when, and the SOW line it falls outside. | Paraphrasing the request, which invites an argument later about what was asked. |
| Impact on scope | Each deliverable the change adds or alters, with its format, due date, test for done and who accepts it. | A new deliverable with no test for done. It becomes the next open-ended request. |
| Impact on timeline | Every date that moves, and any date that holds but is now at risk. | Listing only the dates that move. The client also needs to know which deadlines are safe and which are at risk. |
| Impact on fees | Effort and fee for the added work, any rework and any extra weeks of project management, then the new project total. | Pricing the new task alone, so you absorb the rework and the extra weeks. |
| Options | Do it now, do it later or don't do it, each with its dates, fee and main risk, and the one you recommend. | An empty "don't do it". Say what the client can do instead, so the choice is real. |
| Approval | The option chosen, approved in writing by someone who can commit the fee, and a line saying work starts only then. | Starting on a verbal yes, or on a yes from someone without budget authority. |
| Change log | One row per request, approved or not, with a running total against the original fee. | Logging only the changes you charge for. Free favors add up too. |
The three options follow the decisions that UK government guidance1 and the Association for Project Management5 set out for every change request: approve, defer or reject. Checked October 29, 2026.
How it works
How do you handle a change request on a client project?
Write up every request outside your statement of work, however small, then price it and get it approved before you start. The UK government's change control guidance1 warns that unmanaged changes can cause scope creep, where extra requirements are "added in an uncontrolled way." For its Pulse of the Profession 20212, the Project Management Institute (PMI) surveyed 3,950 project professionals in late 2020. On average, they estimated that 34% of the projects their organizations had completed in the previous 12 months experienced scope creep.
Small asks need the most care, because they rarely feel like changes. In a 2009 paper published by PMI3, Richard and Elizabeth Larson note that teams act on requests that are or seem small instead of following a formal change process. The key, they write, is whether a change is authorized: "If an expansion of scope is approved, then it is not scope creep." Get that approval with a change order sent within three business days of the request, plus a short cover email that welcomes the idea.
Check who your SOW says can approve changes, and make sure they can commit the fee. The UK guidance says change decisions should be made by those who have the authority to do so1. On US federal contracts, the Federal Acquisition Regulation4 lets only the contracting officer modify the contract, and other government staff may not direct work that should be a modification. If the same kind of request keeps coming back, reset the scope with the sponsor rather than writing another change order.
How it works
From the client's request to a signed change order
Download it or open it in River
Download the four Word documents free, or paste the client's request above and click Edit with AI.
River drafts from the request
With a request pasted, River drafts every section, from the quoted request to three options, plus the cover email.
Set the fee and dates
Fill in the fees and dates left in brackets, or ask River to work out the fee with you, line by line.
Send it and get approval
Send it with the cover email, and start the work only after the client approves an option in writing.
CR-02 · Larkfield Foods (example)
- Asked for“Can you also look at the Riverside routes?” Dana Whitlock, 11 Jan
- ImpactAdds D5, a routes memo: 5 days, $6,000. Pilot dates unchanged
- OptionsA. Now, by 29 Jan · B. After the pilot, by 12 Feb · C. Leave it out
- DecisionB, approved by email on 14 Jan. Work starts on 1 Feb
What you'll get
Price the extra request first: impact, options, signatures and a cover email
- What's changing and why, quoting the client's request
- Impact on scope, dates and fees, with three options
- A polite cover email and a scope creep checklist
Before and after
The client's request in. A change order out.
Hi Sam, the Northfield numbers look great. Can you also look at the Riverside routes? Marcus says half his late deliveries are the routes, not the cut-off. I'd like to know before the board meets on the 28th. Dana
1. What's changing and why. The request: “Can you also look at the Riverside routes?” Why it's a change: [the SOW line this falls outside]. 5. Options. A. Do it now, ready before the board on the 28th. Fee: [fee]. B. Do it after [milestone]. Fee: [fee]. C. Don't do it. The SOW stands as agreed. To confirm before you send. What's your fee for the added work? Which SOW line does this fall outside?
Fees and dates stay in brackets for you to set, and every gap becomes a question to settle before you send.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the change order template
- Change Order Template
Six sections with guidance, from the client's request to signatures, plus a change log and a check before you send. - Change Order Cover Email
A short, warm email to send with it, plus versions for small changes, free ones and changes you advise against. - Spot Scope Creep Early
Warning signs from the client and your own team, a weekly 10-minute check and when to involve the sponsor. - Example Change Order, Annotated
A finished change order and cover email for an invented client, with a note on why each part works. - Three options and a recommendation
A side-by-side table of doing it now, later or not at all, with a line for the option you recommend. - Phrases that help
Five lines to avoid and what to say instead, such as "We can do that. Here's what it would take."
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What is a change order?
A change order is a signed agreement to change the scope, schedule or fee of work that's already under contract. On a consulting project, it amends your statement of work. It records the client's request, its effect on deliverables, dates and money, and who approved it. Work on the change starts only after it's signed.
What's the difference between a change request and a change order?
A change request asks for a change and sets out its impact. A change order is the approved, signed result. In the Association for Project Management's change control process5, the sponsor or a governance board approves, rejects or defers each request. This template uses one document for both, numbered CR-01, CR-02 and so on: a request until the client signs, then the order.
Should I charge for small changes?
Usually, yes, and write every change down, even the ones you do for free. A favor done once without a record starts to look like part of the scope. If you absorb one, log it with a fee of zero, so the client sees the value and the next request is easier to price. The cover email has versions for small and free changes.
What if the client wants the work started before signing?
Ask for approval in writing first. If your SOW accepts email, a reply that names the option is enough. File it with the change order and record the decision in your RAID log. If the work must start before it can be priced, agree on a cap, such as three days, and price the rest once you know more.
How do I tell a client their request is out of scope?
Say yes to the idea and give the cost in the same breath. For example: "Happy to look at that. It's outside what we agreed, so I'll send you the cost and timing by Thursday, and you can decide." The cover email follows that pattern, with versions for small changes and for advising against one.
Is this change order template free?
Yes. Download all four Word documents (the change order, cover email, scope creep checklist and annotated example) with no signup. Edit with AI opens the same template in River, which is free to start. There you can fill it in, edit it or ask River to change it. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
What does Edit with AI do?
It opens all four documents in your River workspace. Paste the client's request first, and River quotes it word for word, then drafts the change order and cover email. It never estimates a fee: prices and missing dates stay in brackets, listed as questions to settle before you send. River doesn't train AI models on what you paste.
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