Change orders for tile jobs: how to handle scope changes without the awkward conversation

Tile jobs change. Demo opens up something nobody could see. The homeowner sees the walls going up and decides they want the niche after all. The tile they picked gets backordered and they choose another one. None of that is anyone's fault. What turns it into a fight is how it's handled.

What counts as a change order on a tile job?

Anything that changes the scope or the price of a signed proposal:

• Discovered work. Damage behind the wall or under the floor that couldn't be seen at the walkthrough.
• Additions. A niche, a bench, an accent band, tile further up the wall, a heated floor.
• Removals. The homeowner drops the bench or decides to keep the old vanity.
• Material swaps. A different tile that changes the labor or the cost.
• Price changes on an existing line, for a documented reason.

If it moves the price or the finished result, it gets written down.

Why do change orders feel so awkward?

Because the homeowner hears "more money" with no warning.

From their side, they signed a number. That number is in their head, maybe in their spouse's head, maybe in a loan. When you show up halfway through with a new number, it feels like the deal changed. Even when the extra work is completely fair, the surprise makes it feel like a trick.

In three years of working with tile and bath contractors, here's what I've noticed: the ones who don't dread change orders aren't better at arguing. They just set it up so there's nothing to argue about.

How do you set up change orders before the job starts?

Three things, all before the first tile comes off the wall.

1. Put it in the proposal. One plain sentence in your terms does most of the work:

Any work not described in this proposal will be priced and approved in writing as a change order before it's done.

2. Name the likely surprises. Your exclusions list is where change orders come from. If hidden damage is a real possibility, say what happens when you find it. See what to put in the exclusions section.

3. Say it at signing. Thirty seconds, face to face or on the phone:

"One thing before we start. If we open the wall and find something that wasn't visible, I'll stop, show you a photo, and send you a price before we do anything about it. Nothing extra happens without you signing off on it."

Now, when it happens, you're keeping a promise instead of breaking news.

What should a change order include?

Keep it short. A change order isn't a new proposal. It's a page that says:

• What's changing. Added lines, changed lines, removed lines.
• Why. One sentence. "Found rotted subfloor behind the toilet once demo was done." A photo helps a lot.
• What it costs. The amount of the change, plus the new project total.
• What it does to the schedule. Even "adds one day" is worth saying.
• How it gets billed. More on that below.
• A signature. From the homeowner, before the work.

The before-and-after is the part homeowners care about most. If they can see the original total, the change and the new total in one glance, most of the anxiety goes away.

When should you send it, before or after the work?

Before. Every time you possibly can.

Work done on a verbal yes is the work that's hardest to get paid for. Memories get fuzzy, spouses weren't there, and "I didn't think it would be that much" shows up on the final invoice.

If the job truly can't wait, say a crew is on site and the wall is open, get the homeowner's approval in writing the same day, even if it's a text that says "yes, go ahead with the subfloor fix at $1,800." Then send the formal change order right behind it. Whether a text is enough depends on your state, so ask your attorney.

How should you bill a change order?

Decide based on the kind of change:

• Roll it into the remaining payments. Good for most additions. The homeowner keeps one payment plan that adjusts, instead of a second plan to track.
• Due when signed. Good for discovery work and anything you need paid for before you keep going.
• Its own payment schedule. Good for a big change that's basically a small job of its own.

Whatever you pick, put it on the change order so the homeowner knows exactly when they'll be asked for the money.

What do you say when the homeowner pushes back?

Stay calm and go back to the paper. A few lines that help:

"I didn't think that would cost extra."

"I get it. It's in the proposal under hidden conditions, the part we talked about at signing. Here's the photo of what we found. Want me to walk you through the price?"

"Can't you just do it while you're here?"

"I wish I could. It's a full extra day for the crew plus materials. Here's what it costs, and if you'd rather skip it, here's what that means for the job."

"That's more than I expected."

"Fair. Here are the options: we do it as written, we do a simpler version for less, or we leave it. Your call, and I'll put whichever you pick in writing."

Give them options, not ultimatums. People sign what they feel they chose.

Do small changes need a change order?

Set your own threshold and stick to it.

A lot of contractors write up anything that changes the price or the finished look, even small stuff. Not because a $150 change is worth fighting over, but because ten undocumented $150 changes become a $1,500 argument at the final payment.

Depending on your state, you may not need a second signature once the homeowner has said yes or paid. Some states require a signed change order before the work starts, so check with an attorney. You do still need it written down so your totals match what you're owed.

How BidCraft handles change orders

Once a proposal is signed in BidCraft, the button on the proposal bar turns into Change order. You add, change or remove lines, write why, and pick how it's billed: rolled into the remaining schedule, due on signature, or its own schedule. You can also just tell Biddy, "add a $1,800 subfloor repair line, found rot under the toilet," and it drafts the change order for you to review.

The homeowner gets a link that shows what they already signed, what's changing and the new total, and they sign just the change on their phone. The original signed proposal stays exactly as it was. If they already approved an added cost another way, you can record the change without a signature so your numbers still match.

The step-by-step is in create a change order on an active project. If you want to see it on a live job, start the 14-day free trial (card required) on the pricing page.