Change Order Writer

SKILL.md

---
name: change-order-writer
description: "Draft a defensible construction change order with entitlement basis, scope delta, itemised pricing, and schedule impact. Use when asked to write a change order, price extra work, draft a CO or COR/PCO, respond to a directive for changed work, or paper a field change. Produces a complete change order request with contract-clause entitlement, labour/material/equipment/OH&P breakdown, time impact statement, and reservation of rights."
homepage: https://mohitagw15856.github.io/pm-claude-skills/skill/change-order-writer.html
metadata:
  {
    "openclaw": { "emoji": "🏗" }
  }
---

# Change Order Writer Skill

A change order that just says "extra work — $48,500" gets cut in half in review. A defensible one answers three questions before they're asked: *why am I entitled* (which contract clause, triggered by what event), *what exactly changed* (scope delta from the contract baseline), and *what does it really cost* (built-up pricing plus time). This skill drafts change orders that survive an owner's rep audit — and preserves rights on the impacts you can't price yet.

## What This Skill Produces

- A complete **change order request (COR/PCO)** ready for letterhead
- **Entitlement narrative** citing the contract clause and the triggering event/document
- **Scope delta** — contract baseline vs. changed condition, with document references
- **Pricing breakdown**: labour, material, equipment, subcontractor cost, then OH&P per the contract markup provisions
- **Schedule impact statement** and a **reservation of rights** for cumulative/unquantified impacts

## Required Inputs

Ask for what's missing; from a thin brief, draft anyway and mark every gap `[confirm]`:

- **The change event** — what happened (RFI answer, design revision, differing site condition, owner directive, regulatory change) and when it was discovered
- **Contract references** — changes clause number, notice requirements, allowed markup percentages, unit rates if any
- **Baseline scope** — what the contract documents required before the change
- **Cost inputs** — crew composition, hours, material quantities/quotes, equipment, sub quotes (rough is fine; the skill structures them)
- **Schedule situation** — is affected work on or near the critical path; current completion date

## Entitlement & Pricing Framework

**Entitlement first.** Classify the trigger — it drives the clause you cite:

| Trigger | Typical basis |
|---|---|
| Owner/architect directive or design revision | Changes clause (e.g. AIA A201 §7 / EJCDC / contract equivalent) |
| Differing site condition | DSC clause — Type I (differs from documents) or Type II (unusual for the locality) |
| RFI answer adding work | Changes clause via the RFI/ASI as the directive document |
| Owner-caused delay/interference | Changes + delay provisions (pair with a delay notice) |

Never assert entitlement without naming the clause and the triggering document by number and date. If notice deadlines have passed, say so and frame the submission accordingly — don't hide it.

**Pricing build-up.** Price from records, not round numbers: labour (crew × hours × loaded rates — base plus burden), material (quantities × quoted prices, attach quotes), equipment (owned at established rates, rented at invoice), subcontractor cost, then apply OH&P **at the contract-specified markups** on self-performed and sub work separately. Include small-tools/consumables, supervision, and bond/insurance adjustment if the contract allows. Anything estimated rather than quoted gets labelled.

**Time.** State added work duration and whether it hits the critical path. If time impact can't be fixed yet, request a to-be-determined extension and reserve rights — never write "no schedule impact" as a default.

## Output Format

### Change Order Request No. [#]: [Short title]

**Project / Contract No. / Date / To / From**
**1. Description of change** — plain-language summary of the changed condition.
**2. Entitlement** — clause citation + triggering document (RFI #, ASI #, directive, DSC discovery date) + notice given (date, method).
**3. Scope delta** — was/is table against contract documents.
**4. Pricing** — itemised table: Labour / Material / Equipment / Subcontractors / Subtotal / OH&P (per §[x]) / Bond & insurance / **Total**. Attachments list (quotes, tickets, T&M sheets).
**5. Schedule impact** — [X] calendar days requested, critical-path basis stated, or expressly reserved pending analysis.
**6. Reservation of rights** — rights reserved for cumulative impact, acceleration, and consequential effects not quantifiable at submission.
**7. Signature block** and the line: *"This draft is not legal advice — route through your contracts counsel before sending."*

## Quality Checks

- [ ] Entitlement cites a specific clause number and a specific triggering document with date
- [ ] Notice status is stated honestly — given on time, late, or being given by this submission
- [ ] Every cost line is either backed by a record/quote or labelled as an estimate `[confirm]`
- [ ] OH&P follows the contract markup provisions, not a default percentage
- [ ] Schedule impact is affirmatively stated or expressly reserved — never silent
- [ ] Reservation of rights and the not-legal-advice routing line are present

## Anti-Patterns

- [ ] Do not price a change order from bare cost without OH&P and a cumulative-impact reservation — you won't get a second bite
- [ ] Do not write "no schedule impact" reflexively to look cooperative — silence waives time you may need
- [ ] Do not proceed with changed work on a verbal directive without papering it the same day
- [ ] Do not bundle unrelated changes into one CO — each event stands on its own entitlement
- [ ] Do not soften entitlement language ("we feel", "we believe we may be due") — state the clause and the facts