A customer approves a proposal, then asks to add two windows. A tenant changes the desired appearance. The installer arrives and finds existing film where the site notes showed bare glass.
Each change may affect material, labor, or scheduling. Even a request that sounds small deserves a check before it becomes work the crew is expected to absorb.
Keep the approved scope as the starting point. Describe what is changing, work out the effect, and get the required customer confirmation before releasing the changed work. The office, customer, and installer should all be able to identify the same current version.
Find the approved baseline
Before pricing a change, retrieve the accepted proposal and any already approved revisions. Identify the areas, product, quantities, exclusions, price, and agreed scheduling conditions.
Do not build the change from memory or from whichever attachment is easiest to find. A later email may have clarified a room or removed an area from the first proposal.
Keep the original record intact. Use a new revision or clearly identified change record rather than silently editing the accepted file. That gives everyone a way to see what the customer originally chose and what they are being asked to approve now.
If the baseline itself is unclear, resolve that uncertainty before treating the new request as an addition.
Record the request without approving it by accident
Write down who requested the change, when it was requested, and what they want. Ask enough questions to define the work.
“Add the upstairs windows” may need measurements, area identifiers, product review, or a discussion about appearance. “Use the same film” may refer to the approved proposal, another room, or an older installation. Clarify the reference.
The installer can acknowledge a request without committing the shop to perform it immediately:
I can record that request and have the office confirm the scope, price, and timing. We have not added it to today's work yet.
Use wording that fits your own process. The important point is that hearing a request and accepting changed work are separate steps.
Check more than the added square footage
Review the practical effects before sending a price. For a film job, the change may affect:
- Material: Product, quantity, roll planning, available stock, and ordering.
- Labor: Preparation, removal, installation, and cleanup time.
- Access: Equipment, furniture movement, room availability, or site coordination.
- Scheduling: Crew time, delivery dates, permitted working hours, and return visits.
- Project review: Measurements, glass information, product suitability, appearance choices, or required permissions.
- Price: Additions, deductions, and any revised total.
These are review categories, not automatic charges. Only include effects that apply to the actual job, and explain them clearly.
A deletion also needs review. Removing several panes after material has been ordered may have a different cost effect from removing them before ordering. Check the actual circumstances and the existing agreement rather than assuming every reduction produces a proportional credit.
Distinguish a customer change from a discovered condition
A customer asking for more windows is different from the crew finding a condition that was not identified during estimating. Keep the description accurate.
Record what was observed, where it was found, and why the current plan needs review. Photographs can help when permitted and relevant. Avoid jumping from “unexpected condition” to “customer owes extra” without reviewing the original scope and circumstances.
If the shop made a measurement or estimating error, deal with that honestly. Do not relabel it as a customer-requested upgrade. If responsibility or price is disputed, move the issue to the person authorized to resolve it under the project's existing agreement.
This workflow organizes the decision. It does not determine legal responsibility for a change or replace the terms governing the project.
Show the customer the full effect
The customer should be able to understand the change without comparing several loose messages.
A useful change record includes:
| Item | What to show |
|---|---|
| Project reference | Property and original accepted proposal or revision |
| Requested change | Specific addition, deletion, substitution, or changed condition |
| Revised scope | Exact areas, product, and work included or excluded |
| Price effect | Addition or credit and revised total, as applicable |
| Timing effect | Current expectation, dependencies, and any changed installation date |
| Confirmation | Who must review and how the shop records the decision |
| Release status | Proposed, awaiting confirmation, confirmed, declined, or superseded |
A net price alone is not enough. If a change adds one area and deletes another, identify both. If the work can no longer fit in the original visit, show that before the customer chooses it.
Do not promise the original installation date until the changed plan has been checked against material and crew availability.
Confirm through the appropriate person
A person on site may be able to point out the requested area without being able to approve extra cost or a product change. Verify the route the customer has established for changed work.
Send the complete change information through your normal approval process. Record the response and any conditions. If the customer changes the request again, update the proposal before releasing it; an approval of one version should not be treated as approval of a different one.
When an answer is outstanding, keep the changed portion clearly marked as unapproved. Coordinate what can proceed under the existing scope and what needs to wait. Do not let the crew discover the unresolved decision halfway through installation.
A hypothetical addition during installation
A crew is scheduled to complete ten approved panes in an office. The site contact asks for two conference-room panes to be added that day.
The installer records the locations and contacts the office. The shop checks measurements, product suitability, material on hand, and whether the extra work fits the day's access window. It finds that the additional work would extend beyond the time the room is available.
The shop sends a defined two-pane addition with its price and a separate visit requirement. The customer's designated approver can accept it, decline it, or ask for a different arrangement. The original ten-pane job continues only as the confirmed plan and site conditions allow.
No one promises “We can just do those while we are here” before checking the consequences. The customer receives a decision they can actually evaluate.
Release one current plan to the crew
After confirmation, update ordering, job notes, the window schedule, and scheduling information as needed. Tell the crew what changed rather than expecting them to discover a replacement attachment.
Make superseded versions easy to recognize while retaining them in the record. Check that the installer has the current areas and product, the office has the revised price, and the customer has the same scope.
At closeout, record the work actually completed. Identify any approved portion that remains deferred and keep its next action visible. The invoice should correspond clearly to the agreed work and recorded changes.
A good change process keeps a small request from becoming three different expectations. Start from the accepted scope, review the real effect, obtain the required confirmation, and make sure the revised plan reaches the people doing the work.