Guide · 4 min read
Variation or change order? What UK builders need to know.
The words differ between contracts, but the job is the same: agree the change, price it and record it.
The short answer
In UK building contracts the usual term is variation. Change order is more common in US contracts, such as the AIA forms. Both describe a change to the agreed scope, price or time, and both need to be agreed and recorded before the work changes.
Why the names differ
The term comes from the contract you signed, not from the job. Read the definitions section of your contract to see which word applies and what it covers. Some contracts use both words for different things.
What matters more than the name
- Written instruction: the change is instructed in writing, not just mentioned on site.
- Valuation: the price is agreed before the work, or as it is done.
- Time limits: many contracts require notice within a set period.
- Pricing method: a lump sum, measured rates, or day-work rates.
- Billing: the change goes into the next interim valuation or application.
If you work under different contracts
Use one record format for every job, whatever the contract calls the change. A single format means you never have to remember which term a particular contract uses, and nothing gets lost when you switch between contracts.
Check your contract
Read the variations clause in each contract you use, and have a construction solicitor review your templates once.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
Related guides
- Variation guideHow to stop extra work going unpriced, unsigned and unbilled. A practical guide for UK builders and remodellers.
- Pricing a variationHow to price extra work for a UK building job: rate cards, the programme effect, overheads and a worked example.
- What is a variationWhat counts as a variation in a UK building contract, the common types, what usually isn't one, and why the paperwork matters.
- Extra work on siteA six-step checklist for UK builders when a client asks for extra work on site: pause, price, get it signed, then start.
- Avoiding unpaid extrasFive habits that stop unpaid extras on a building job: site logs, photos, same-day pricing, written confirmation and billing in every application.