What is a Change Order?
A Change Order is a formal record of any agreed change to your project’s scope or cost after your Home Improvement Contract (HIC) is signed. It keeps your contract and payments accurate as your renovation evolves.
Change Orders protect both you and your builder by documenting what’s changing, why, and how it affects cost or timing. Everything is logged in your dashboard, so there’s no confusion later.
When it’s used
You’ll need a Change Order is needed whenever work or materials change in a way that affects your total cost. Common examples:
- Adding or removing work, such as decorating an extra room.
- Upgrading to a more complex or premium product, like a Japanese toilet.
- Your builder finding a hidden issue on site, for example damp, faulty wiring, or uneven walls.
Minor swaps that don’t affect cost or timing usually usually don’t need a formal Change Order.
How it works in Beams
1. Discuss and agree
Either you or your builder can suggest a change. You’ll talk it through first to confirm what’s needed and the impact on cost or timing.
2. Builder processes the Change Order
Your builder then raises the Change Order in their dashboard, updating the scope and costs. You’ll get a notification when it’s ready to review.
3. You review and pay
In your Payments page you’ll see a clear summary of the change, including the reason, adjusted cost, and any timing impact. Once you approve, the payment becomes payable through Beams.
4. Beams updates your records
We store the approved Change Order alongside your HIC, keeping everything documented, traceable, and aligned with your builder’s progress.
Keeping track as your project evolves
Renovations often involve small adjustments. A Change Order makes those shifts clear and agreed, so you and your builder stay aligned on scope, cost, and timing.
Every Change Order is stored in your dashboard alongside your contract, giving you a clean record of what changed and why — helpful during the build and long after it’s finished.
Ready to start your project?
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Understand the Home Improvement Contract and what it means for your renovation. See how scope, timings, and warranties are set out to protect you.
Learn how to approve milestones and release builder payments through Beams. See how each stage is checked, approved and paid safely so your renovation stays transparent, timely and firmly in your control.
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