Daily Reports for Change Orders: How to Document Changed Work So It Gets Paid
To get a change order paid, the daily report has to show four things on the day the work happened: who directed the change, what changed and where, the labor, equipment and material spent on the changed work kept separate from base scope, and the reference to the RFI, directive or T&M tag. Write it the same day, attach photos, and send written notice within the deadline in your contract. Records rebuilt weeks later are the first thing an owner or general contractor will challenge.
Change orders are where a lot of margin is won or lost. The work gets done in the field under verbal direction, and the paperwork catches up later, if at all. This guide covers how superintendents and foremen should use the daily report as change order backup, for general contractors pricing changes to the owner and subs pricing changes to the general contractor.
Why the daily report matters for changes
A change order request is a claim that you did something outside your contract. The reviewer will ask: was it really extra, who told you to do it, and what did it actually cost? The daily report answers all three, because it was written before anyone knew there would be an argument.
Contract forms build this in. Under AIA A201-2017, when a change proceeds by construction change directive without an agreed price, section 7.3.4 says the contractor "shall keep and present, in such form as the Architect may prescribe, an itemized accounting together with appropriate supporting data" (A201-2017 sample). Daily labor and equipment records are that supporting data.
What to record when the work changes
The day the direction is given:
- Who gave the direction, their role, and how (in person, text, email, RFI response)
- The exact words, or as close as you can get
- What changed from the drawings or scope, with location
- Whether the work stops, continues, or switches
Every day the changed work is performed:
- Crew by company, headcount and hours on the changed work, on separate lines from base scope
- Classification (foreman, journeyman, apprentice, laborer)
- Equipment and hours used on the change
- Material used, with delivery tickets
- Photos before, during and after
- The reference: RFI number, CCD number, field directive or T&M tag
The effect on other work:
- Crews moved off planned work, idle time, resequencing
- Any delay to the schedule, recorded the same day
If the change also affects time, see daily reports for delay claims.
Good and weak change entries
A weak entry:
Electrical crew 6 men 8 hrs. Worked on Level 2 and some extra work per general contractor.
A strong entry:
Electrical: 6 workers, 8 hrs. 4 workers, 8 hrs base scope, Level 2 east corridor branch circuits. 2 workers (1 journeyman, 1 apprentice), 6 hrs, relocate 4 receptacles in Room 214 per general contractor super verbal direction 7:15 AM, tied to RFI 37 response. Scissor lift 6 hrs. Material: 4 boxes, 60 ft MC cable. T&M tag 1042 signed by general contractor super. Photos 1 to 6.
The second version lets a reviewer price the change in a few minutes. The first invites a negotiation.
Notice deadlines
Most contracts require written notice of a change or claim within a set number of days. As one common example, AIA A201-2017 section 15.1.3.1 requires claims to be initiated within 21 days after the event or within 21 days after the claimant first recognizes the condition, whichever is later. Subcontracts often pass the owner's deadline down with fewer days so the general contractor has time to react. Read both.
The daily report does not replace the formal notice, but it should say that notice was given, to whom and how. That one line connects the record to the paperwork.
How general contractors should review sub change backup
When a sub submits a change order request, compare it to the daily reports:
- Do the sub's daily reports show the crew and hours claimed, on the dates claimed?
- Does your superintendent's log show the same direction?
- Are T&M tags signed the same day and consistent with the reports?
- Is the changed work separated from base scope, or blended?
- Do the photos match the location and dates?
When the records agree, approve quickly. When they do not, you have specific questions to ask. Our guide on how to review subcontractor daily reports covers the weekly routine that catches this early.
Change order backup checklist
- Direction recorded the day it was given: who, when, how, what was said
- Changed work described with location and reference (RFI, CCD, directive, tag)
- Labor on the change kept on separate lines: company, classification, headcount, hours
- Equipment and hours on the change recorded
- Material recorded with tickets
- Photos before, during and after, with captions
- T&M tag signed the same day, numbers match the daily report
- Written notice sent within the contract deadline and logged in the report
- Schedule impact recorded, if any
- Backup package ties every hour and dollar to a dated entry
Make the separation easy
The hardest part of change backup is splitting changed work from base work in the moment. Foremen are busy, and the split gets lost by the end of the day. Two habits help: send a short text or photo the minute the direction is given, and close the day by listing the change hours on their own line. For T&M paperwork specifically, see time and material tag documentation, and for a full report format, the free daily report template.
How Cascade captures change backup
Cascade Technology is SMS-first field intelligence for general contractors and subcontractors. Superintendents and foremen text in their day, along with their subs, and Cascade builds the daily report with manpower and hours by sub, photos and timestamps. A foreman can text "General contractor super told us 7:15 to relocate 4 receptacles rm 214, RFI 37, 2 guys" and that direction lands in the record. Later, a PM can ask in plain English for every hour logged against RFI 37. Scope: Daily reports, manpower and hours by sub, photos, toolbox talks, pre-task plans (JHA), safety incidents and corrective actions, project + schedule planning, automatic sub reminders, analytics and plain-English answers.
General contractors using Cascade see 95%+ sub daily report compliance. Subcontractor access is free, onboarding and integration are free, and the general contractor plan starts with a one-month pilot with no contract lock-in. We beat Raken, Procore, and ACC on price, guaranteed. See SMS daily reports for subcontractors.
Frequently asked questions
Can a daily report be used as change order backup?
Yes. A daily report that records the direction given, the changed work by location, and the labor, equipment and material spent on it the same day is some of the strongest backup a contractor has. Pair it with T&M tags, photos and the written notice.
What should a daily report say about extra work?
Who gave the direction and when, what changed, where, the crew and hours on the changed work kept separate from base scope, equipment hours, material used, and photos. Reference the RFI, CCD or T&M tag number.
How fast do I have to give notice of a change?
Your contract decides. For example, AIA A201-2017 section 15.1.3.1 requires claims to be initiated within 21 days after the event or after the claimant first recognizes the condition, whichever is later. Subcontracts are often shorter.
What is a construction change directive?
Under AIA A201-2017 section 7.3.1, a written order signed by the owner and architect directing a change before the price or time adjustment is agreed. The contractor proceeds and keeps an itemized accounting of the cost.