Vent: Remembering the days of printed change orders

I used to print out every single change request on paper, get it signed by the client, and scan it back in. That was maybe 10 years ago when I was working with a local contractor on a condo remodel job. Now I just fire off an email or a quick message in Slack, and it feels less official somehow. Has anyone else had to adjust when their clients started ignoring signed documents and just texting changes?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliver_baker495d ago

Yeah that hits close to home. My handwriting is so bad that even I can't read what I wrote on paper change orders half the time. Text messages feel like we're just shouting into the void until something breaks and then it's a he said she said battle. Had a client last week who texted me "move the kitchen island 2 feet to the left" and I just ignored it until they sent a proper email. The worst part is I'm pretty sure my printer is judging me every time I walk past it now.

wells.evan5d ago

How do these people survive without a paper trail? Texting a change order is basically asking for a lawsuit down the road. I'd rather get yelled at for being annoying than blamed for something I never agreed to.

kim_davis5d ago

You're totally wrong on this one. Texting a change order is actually the smartest way to go because it creates a time-stamped record that proves exactly when the client agreed to something. I've had clients try to deny paper change orders claiming they "never signed that" or that their signature was forged (it happens, believe me). A text message thread on my phone with their own number showing them saying "yes move the island" is way harder to argue against in court than a piece of paper with a scribble they can claim isn't theirs. Plus paper trails can be lost, stolen, or conveniently "misplaced" by a sneaky GC trying to pin blame on you.