A useful change record names the affected opening, the reason, the proposed work or product, the difference from the agreed scope, the price and schedule effects, and who approves it. Keep the original agreement and issue a dated revision instead of overwriting it. A contingency is an owner's reserve; an allowance is a defined pricing provision; neither gives automatic permission for extra work. Contract remedies and approval rights depend on the agreement and local law.
Canadian planning context. Technical examples from other regions are identified in the guide; approval and performance requirements must be checked for the actual building and jurisdiction. Original explanatory diagrams are not construction details.
- Identify affected opening IDs and the exact current document revision.
- Separate an unknown condition, a proposed response and an approved change.
- Review product substitutions across performance, geometry, operation, finishes, installation and warranty.
- Keep price, tax treatment and schedule changes explicit, including a stated zero change when agreed.
- Record resolution and final installed information so future owners can understand what changed.
01 /Why projects change
Window projects change for different reasons, and the reason matters. The supplier may discover that a selected option is unavailable. A final survey may differ from a preliminary measurement. Removal may expose damaged framing or an unexpected wall layer. The owner may choose a new colour or different operation. An authority or building board may require a different detail. These situations should not all be described as an unexplained 'extra'.
Keep the distinction between discovery and instruction. A contractor's photo of deterioration is evidence of a condition; it does not itself establish the repair design, price or authorization. A supplier's notice that a series is discontinued explains availability; it does not establish that another series is equivalent. The record should carry the matter from observation to proposed response, review and approval.
| Trigger | What to resolve | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Owner selection | Exact revised option and consequences | Before/after product schedule |
| Final measurement | Verified dimension and responsibility | Survey and revised order line |
| Concealed condition | Extent, assessment and proposed repair | Photos, findings and approved scope |
| Availability | Comparable replacement and timing | Substitution comparison |
| Authority requirement | Applicable direction and revised design | Written confirmation and reviewed detail |
| Scheduling | Which activities and access bookings move | Revised sequence and dates |
02 /Make the base agreement easy to find
A change cannot be understood without its starting point. Keep the signed quote or contract, approved opening schedule and relevant drawings together. Name the revision that governs the order. Mark later files clearly and retain prior versions as superseded. A folder full of documents all called 'final' invites confusion, especially when a salesperson, factory, installer and owner each hold a different copy.
For a simple project, use a date and revision number: 'Window schedule R02—approved for order' and 'Change C01—W04 glass option'. Keep an index showing document, date, purpose and approval state. The words 'draft', 'for pricing', 'for review' and 'approved' should describe real states; a neat PDF is not automatically approved. If the contract establishes a formal process, use it rather than inventing a conflicting one.
03 /The change record worksheet
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| ID and date | C01; date raised; current status |
| Affected openings | W04 and W05, not simply 'upstairs' |
| Starting documents | Approved quote and schedule revision |
| Reason | Observed condition, availability notice or requested selection |
| Proposed difference | Exact product, dimension, detail or work boundary |
| Technical review | Who must assess performance, structure, approval or compatibility |
| Price | Addition/credit, included scope, taxes and allowance treatment |
| Schedule | Lead time, installation and dependent-work effects |
| Approval | Named authorized party and documented acceptance |
| Closeout | Actual work, identifiers, evidence and final date |
If an effect is unknown, say unknown and name the next action. Do not leave a blank that later appears to mean zero. If a change has no agreed price or schedule effect, state that explicitly. Save the contractor's proposal and the approval together. A record should be understandable without reconstructing a series of text messages.
04 /Concealed damage: establish a decision point
Discuss hidden conditions before removal. Agree what the crew does if it finds wet or deteriorated material, who receives the photographs and who determines whether a specialist is needed. The appropriate response depends on extent and construction; a generic patch allowance is not a repair design. The opening may need temporary protection while the decision is made, and that responsibility should be clear.
For non-emergency additional work, obtain a defined proposal and approval through the agreed process. Keep immediate safety or weather protection separate from permanent corrective work. Ask the contractor to distinguish the window replacement already priced from surrounding repairs newly proposed. If another trade is involved, identify who coordinates it and whether the revised detail affects the window's installation or warranty.
05 /Allowances and contingency are different
An allowance is a stated amount for a particular item whose final selection or cost remains unsettled. It needs a scope, a basis and a reconciliation rule. Ask whether it includes labour, materials, overhead and tax, how the actual cost will be documented, whether unused money is credited and what happens when the cost exceeds it. A line labelled 'rot allowance' without these terms leaves too much unresolved.
A contingency is money the owner reserves for uncertainty. It is not a contractor instruction and not a promise that every possible problem can be repaired for that amount. The budget planner models the contingency percentage you enter but does not recommend a correct percentage. Keep actual approved changes separate so you can see the original base, committed changes and reserve remaining.
| Amount | Meaning | Approval question |
|---|---|---|
| Base contract | Defined agreed products and work | What exactly is included? |
| Allowance | Provision for a defined unresolved item | How is the final cost reconciled? |
| Owner contingency | Planning reserve outside authorization | What changes have actually been approved? |
06 /A substitution needs a full comparison
Ask for a side-by-side comparison of the original and proposed products. Include series, dimensions, visible-glass area, operation, handing, frame and finish, glass package, whole-window ratings, other required performance, certification, hardware, installation documents and applicable warranty. A smaller frame or a different sash arrangement may alter daylight or clear opening even if the new product has a favourable energy rating.
Confirm whether any designer, authority, condominium board or heritage reviewer must reconsider the change. An owner can choose an appearance but cannot waive a mandatory requirement by signing a substitution sheet. The supplier should identify differences rather than describe every substitute as an upgrade. Once approved, revise the opening schedule and ensure the factory and installation crew receive the same information.
07 /Schedule effects belong in the same decision
A product change can shift fabrication, delivery, installation and other trades. Record the supplier's current estimate and distinguish it from a firm commitment. Ask what happens to booked access equipment, building appointments, exterior repair and temporary protection. A shorter factory lead time may not shorten the project if another approval or trade becomes the limiting activity.
Keep owner availability and occupancy needs explicit. If a room must remain usable or an opening must remain secure each night, ask how the revised sequence addresses it. Do not infer that a new product can be fitted into the original appointment. A change record should tell the owner what happens next, not merely that the price increased.
08 /Resolve disagreements with a factual record
When parties disagree, a clear record is more useful than a claim that everything was discussed verbally. State the opening, observation, relevant scope and requested response. Preserve photos, proposals and communications. The Government of Ontario's home-renovation guidance gives an Ontario-specific example of protections around written estimates and signed changes; those rules must not be generalized to every Canadian project. Review your agreement and province's current consumer guidance for the situation.
This worksheet does not decide legal entitlement, lien rights, cancellation or payment remedies. Obtain appropriate advice for a dispute rather than applying a universal holdback percentage. Keep the project archive factual: what was proposed, agreed, installed and still unresolved. Continue with the acceptance list and warranty-evidence guide so a later service issue can be assessed against the final work.
Keep an open-decision list as well as an approved-change log. Each unresolved item needs an owner, the information still required and a next review date, so an unanswered question does not become an accidental instruction.
FAQQuestions people ask
Does my contingency authorize extra work?
No. It is a planning reserve. Authorization follows the actual agreement and approval process.
Is an allowance a fixed complete repair price?
Only if the agreement defines it that way. Clarify scope, included costs, reconciliation, credits and overruns.
Should a no-cost substitution still be recorded?
Yes. Product, performance, installation, warranty and timing may change even when the price does not.
What if the effect is unknown?
Mark it unknown, identify the decision needed and name the responsible next action. A blank should not become an assumed zero.
Do these worksheets determine my legal rights?
No. The contract, applicable law and facts govern rights and remedies. The worksheet organizes evidence.
