How should unknown soil or haul-off be priced?

Use a defined unit such as cubic yard, ton, load, equipment hour, or labor hour with measurement tickets, rates, estimated quantity, warning threshold, NTE ceiling, disposal assumptions, and stop point.

Can a contractor dig after a customer marks a utility location?

Do not treat customer recollection or informal marks as a substitute for applicable utility-notification, locate, tolerance-zone, private-utility, permit, and safe-excavation requirements. Verify the actual jurisdiction and site.

How should plant substitutions be approved?

Preserve the specified and proposed plant, quantity and size, availability reason, location, appearance and mature characteristics, water and exposure assumptions, price or credit, establishment care, warranty source, and customer selection.

Trade guide · Landscaping

Mark the site. Measure the change. Approve the new quantity.

Q: What belongs in a landscaping change order?

Identify who requested the change, original plan and quantities, observed site condition or revised selection, measured quantities, materials and allowances, equipment access, utilities, price, weather and schedule, maintenance, exclusions, and approval.

Use five filled examples for soil, irrigation, drainage, plant substitutions, access, weather, utilities, and owner-requested additions.

See the examples →Use the worksheet

13 minute read
Updated July 11, 2026
Installation and renovation

Site study 05 Requester, boundary, quantity, access, utility, weather, price, and maintenance.

The field rule

Every outdoor change needs a marked boundary and measurable unit.

Record who requested the change, the plan and quantity it replaces, the exact site boundary, the unit and measurement source, access and utility dependencies, price, weather effect, and who maintains living material after installation.

A customer flag is not a utility locate, a plant name is not a complete substitution, and “bad soil” is not a quantity. Use the actual jurisdiction, qualified professionals, tickets, photos, and approved samples.

Five filled examples

Site conditions translated into customer decisions.

Example 01 · $185/cubic yard · $4,500 NTE

Rocky or unsuitable soil and haul-off

Baseline: ordinary excavatable soil and 4 cubic yards export included. Discovery: marked zone E-01 contains rock/unsuitable material outside assumption. Authorize excavation, load, haul, and stated facility disposal at $185 per documented cubic yard beyond allowance, plus equipment at $[___]/hour if listed. Tickets and photos govern quantity; notify at 70%; stop at $4,500. Excludes hazardous/contaminated soil, blasting, dewatering, shoring, buried structures/utilities, imported structural fill, testing, and permit/design changes. Weather and facility closures extend schedule.

Example 02 · Fixed $1,760 · +1 day

Irrigation conflict and zone revision

Finding: existing line/valve at I-03 conflicts with approved bed/edging layout. Change reroutes the specifically identified section, adds listed fittings/head or drip components, updates zone map, and performs project-specific operation observation for $1,760. Excludes unknown private utilities, controller replacement/programming beyond listed zone, pressure/source problems, unrelated leaks, electrical work, trench restoration outside boundary, and ongoing seasonal adjustment. Customer approves one-day irrigation interruption and provides controller/access information.

Example 03 · Fixed $3,280

Drainage swale revision after grading observation

Observed: field elevations and runoff path differ from plan assumption at D-02; no guarantee of whole-property drainage is implied. Change revises the marked swale/collection area, adds [quantity] aggregate/soil, listed pipe or outlet only if specified, and restores listed surface. Includes survey/grade control stated in attachment and two weather-dependent days. Excludes engineering, foundation/waterproofing, municipal system, neighboring property, groundwater, roof drainage, erosion beyond work area, utilities, permit, and extreme-event performance. Stop for unlocated utilities, contaminated soil, or conditions outside marked area.

Example 04 · Substitution credit/add $620

Plant unavailable at approved size

Specified: 12 × [plant/cultivar], [container/caliper], locations P-01 through P-12. Proposed: [substitute] because supplier confirms original unavailable by required date. Record quantity/size, mature form, appearance sample, exposure/water assumptions, availability, warranty source, establishment-care owner, and net $620 change. Customer selects substitute, waits until [date], or approves plan reduction/credit. Excludes guarantee of growth, bloom, wildlife resistance, exact natural appearance, irrigation redesign beyond listed emitters, replacements caused by neglected care, and maintenance after stated establishment period.

Example 05 · Added edging/mulch quantities

Owner expands beds during layout walk

Request by: [authorized owner] during marked-site walk [date]. Original 180 linear feet edging and 14 cubic yards mulch becomes measured 248 feet and estimated 19 yards. Add 68 feet at $[___]/foot and up to 5 yards at $[___]/yard, reconciled by installed measurement/delivery tickets, including ordinary prep and listed product. Adds $[___] estimated and one day. Excludes irrigation relocation except listed crossings, plant moves, soil amendment, root/rock removal, drainage, utility conflicts, disposal, future settlement/top-up, and ongoing weed/mulch maintenance.

Quantity worksheet

Landscape change register

Attach a marked plan, measurement record, tickets, and selection photos.

Create a landscape change order with JobSign →

CO [___] · Zone [___]Landscape change

Requester and baseline: [Who/date/authority; plan/spec line; original area, quantity, allowance, material, access, maintenance]
Condition or selection: [Marked boundary, observed fact/customer request, photos, measurements, tickets, locate/permit/design dependencies]
Revised quantities: [Item, original, added/deleted, estimated/final, unit, measurement method, rate, extended price, credit]
Materials and substitutions: [Specified/proposed product or plant, size/quantity/source, appearance/performance/water assumptions, availability, warranty]
Access, utilities, weather: [Equipment path/limits, protection/restoration, public/private locates, outages, forecast, suspension, remobilization]
Price and schedule: [Fixed/unit/T&M/NTE, allowance, tickets, warning threshold, tax/markup, added days, payment]
Exclusions and maintenance: [Contamination, structural/engineering, unknown utilities, offsite drainage, permits, establishment care, ongoing maintenance]
Approval: [Selected option, revised total, signatures/authority/timestamps, final reconciliation and completed copy]

Verify license, contract, utilities, excavation, permits, environmental/site rules, plant suitability, irrigation, drainage design, safety, and maintenance for the actual jurisdiction and project.

Research basis

State rules and site decisions must stay specific.

Oregon’s Landscape Contractors Board provides one state-specific example: covered landscaping change orders must identify the changed scope, be agreed by both parties, and be written. Its contract thresholds and agreement method are Oregon rules, not national defaults.

EPA WaterSense explains that soil, slope, climate, plant grouping, irrigation zones, controllers, and maintenance influence landscape water use. Use local plant and design expertise; WaterSense guidance does not establish project-specific plant suitability or drainage performance.

Documentation guidance only, not excavation, utility, drainage, irrigation, horticultural, environmental, code, or legal advice.

Landscaping change order questions

What belongs in a landscaping change order?

Requester, baseline, marked boundary, quantities, materials, access, utilities, price, weather, schedule, maintenance, exclusions, and approval.

How should soil or haul-off be priced?

Use a defined unit, measurement tickets, rates, estimate, warning threshold, NTE, disposal assumptions, and stop point.

Are customer utility marks enough?

No. Follow applicable notification, locate, private-utility, tolerance-zone, permit, and safe-excavation requirements.

How should plant substitutions work?

Compare exact plants, quantities/sizes, availability, mature characteristics, site/water assumptions, price, care, warranty source, and selection.

Measure the changed site

Connect field quantities, access, utilities, weather, and approval.

JobSign helps landscapers attach plans and photos, price changed quantities, collect signatures, and share the PDF.

Explore change order approvals →