Contractor field guide · Free template
A clear written yes before the extra starts.
Reference the original job, mark the added-work boundary, choose the pricing method, set the stop point, and get the authorized customer decision before proceeding.
The short answer
Authorize one specific addition to the original job.
An extra work authorization identifies the original agreement, the added work and reason, who requested it, what is included and excluded, the pricing method and approval limit, payment and schedule effects, attachments, and signatures.
The key boundary is simple: approval covers only the described extra work up to the stated price, quantity, or time limit.
Fast field workflow
Turn the request into a controlled decision.
- 01
Reference the original job
Identify the contract, work order, estimate, date, location, and original-scope section.
- 02
Record the trigger and requester
State whether the customer, field condition, inspector, designer, or product issue created the request.
- 03
Describe the extra precisely
Use dimensions, quantities, method, materials, finish, protection, disposal, and attachments.
- 04
Choose price and limit
Use fixed price, unit price, T&M, or not-to-exceed language with explicit inclusions and records.
- 05
Approve before proceeding
State time and payment effects, obtain the required signer, and preserve the executed record.
Copyable template
Extra work authorization
Replace the prompts and attach marked photos or drawings. If local law requires a formal change order, use this content in that required form.
Create and sign it with JobSign →- Project & original agreement
- [Customer, address, contractor, contract/work order number and date, original-scope reference]
- Requested by & reason
- [Authorized customer / contractor finding / inspector / designer / other; date and explanation]
- Authorized extra work
- [Exact location, dimensions, quantity, work method, materials, model/finish, completion standard]
- Included
- [Labor, material, equipment, protection, access, mobilization, cleanup, disposal, restoration, tax, markup]
- Excluded & stop conditions
- [Work not included, assumptions, further discovery, unsafe condition, expansion requiring new approval]
- Pricing method
- [Fixed $___ / $___ per unit / labor $___ per hour + materials/markup / not to exceed $___]
- Estimate & approval limit
- [Estimated total $___; do not exceed $___ or ___ units/hours without additional approval]
- Payment effect
- [Due at approval / material order / completion / added to milestone ___; revised payment $___]
- Schedule effect
- [No change / add ___ days / revised completion ___ / dependent on material or decision deadline]
- Attachments
- [Before photos, marked boundary, drawing, product data, quote, quantity/rate sheet]
- Authorization boundary
- [Authorizes only described work within stated limit; all other original terms remain]
This is operational information, not legal advice. The agreement and jurisdiction determine required form, notices, signatures, and timing.
Four pricing options
Match the pricing method to what is known.
Known scope and total
Use one agreed amount when quantity, method, materials, and boundary are sufficiently defined.
Known unit, unknown count
State price per sheet, foot, item, load, or test plus measurement and a stop quantity.
Uncertain effort
State labor classifications/rates, material cost and markup, equipment, records, estimate, and cap.
Proceed within a ceiling
Set a not-to-exceed amount and define what happens when the limit is approaching.
Four field examples
Describe the extra as completed work.
Subfloor repair
Remove and replace the marked area using stated thickness and fastening; cap square footage pending further discovery.
Two added outlets
Specify locations, device type, circuit assumptions, patching boundary, price per outlet, and permit/inspection effect.
Extra wall preparation
Identify damaged surfaces, preparation standard, hourly rate or fixed area, material inclusions, and stop point.
Customer-selected material
Record the original and upgraded product, credit, order status, added labor, lead time, and revised total.
Research basis
Negotiate the extra before performance when practical.
California CSLB’s contractor guide says covered extra work and change orders should be written and signed before work begins and should state scope, amount added or subtracted, and payment-schedule effect. Oregon CCB’s sample likewise requires written agreement before extra-cost deviations are performed.
Federal over-and-above work guidance offers a useful operational pattern: identify needed repairs, recommend corrective action, authorize the contractor to proceed, negotiate before performance when practical, and use dollar limitations for blanket authorization. These public-contract procedures are examples, not residential rules.
- California CSLB: Contracting for Success ↗
- Oregon CCB: Sample Change Order ↗
- Acquisition.gov: Over and Above Work ↗
Calling a document an authorization does not replace state-required contract language, notices, forms, or signatures.
Extra work authorization questions
Is this the same as a change order?
It may function as or attach to one, but use the form and language required by the original agreement and jurisdiction.
Can work start before the final price is known?
Only under an appropriate written pricing method and authorization. Define rates, estimate, records, cap, and stop point.
Who should approve the extra?
The customer or representative actually authorized under the agreement, plus the contractor as required. Verify authority.
What happens at the limit?
Stop before exceeding the approved amount, quantity, or hours and obtain any required additional approval.
Before the extra starts
Turn the field request into a signed boundary.
Describe the extra, attach the marked photo, choose the pricing limit, and send the customer a JobSign approval.
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