Every roofer has lived this. Tear-off starts, and under the old shingles the decking is soft, the fascia is rotten, or a second layer nobody mentioned shows up. The work has to be done. The only question is whether you get paid for it without a fight.
A change order is a short written agreement that adds to (or changes) the job you already signed. It says what the extra work is, why it's needed, what it costs, and that the homeowner agreed before you did it. It's simple, and it saves a lot of money and friction.
When you need a change order
Any time the work or the price changes from what the homeowner signed. The common ones on a roof:
- Rotted or delaminated decking found after tear-off
- An extra layer of shingles to remove
- Fascia, soffit or rafter tail repairs
- Flashing that has to be rebuilt instead of reused
- A homeowner upgrade: different shingles, ridge vent, new gutters, a skylight
If it changes the price, it needs a change order. If it doesn't change the price but changes what you're doing, a quick written note to the homeowner is still worth sending, so nobody remembers it differently later.
Set it up before the job starts
The easiest change order is the one the homeowner already expected. Put a line in every estimate that explains how hidden damage is handled, for example a price per sheet of decking and a note that anything beyond that is quoted before you do it.
Then, when you find rot, you're not springing a surprise. You're doing exactly what the estimate said would happen. Homeowners push back on surprises, not on things they were told about.
Tip: Mention it out loud at the signing too: "If we find soft decking, we'll stop, show you a photo, and get your OK before we replace it." One sentence now prevents most arguments later.
What goes on a change order
Keep it short. A homeowner should understand it in thirty seconds, standing in the driveway:
- What you found, in plain words: "Six sheets of decking are rotted on the back slope."
- Why it has to be fixed: "New shingles can't be nailed into rotted wood."
- What you'll do: "Replace six sheets of 7/16 OSB."
- The price for each item and the total
- A photo of the problem
- A place for them to approve and sign, with the date
Get the OK before you do the work
This is the step that gets skipped when the crew is on the roof and the clock is running. Don't skip it. Work done without approval is the hardest money to collect, and in some places it can weaken your claim if you ever need to file a lien. Rules on written approval for extra work vary by state, so check yours or ask an attorney if you're unsure.
In practice:
- Stop work on that section, not the whole job
- Take clear photos (wide shot and close-up)
- Call or text the homeowner, explain it in one or two sentences, and send the change order
- Wait for their signed OK, then do the work
- If they say no, write that down too, and talk about what that means for the warranty on that section
Most homeowners say yes quickly when they see a photo of rotted wood. What they don't like is finding a surprise line on the final invoice.
Get paid for it
An approved change order belongs on the final invoice as its own line, with the change order number, so the homeowner can match it to what they signed. If the extra work is big, it's reasonable to ask for part of it up front before you do it. Whatever you decide, say it on the change order, not afterwards.
Keep a copy with the job
Save the signed change order and the photos with the job. If there's ever a question about the bill, an insurance claim, or a warranty issue years later, you'll have the record of what you found, what they approved, and when.
Make it quick from the roof
In Ridgewise, you send a change order from the job page. The homeowner gets a link, sees the extra work and the price, and approves and signs on their phone. Once they approve, it's added to the final invoice automatically, and the signed copy stays with the job. Inspection photos taken on the bid move onto the job as damage photos, so the before-and-after record is already there.