Change Orders, Warranties, and Construction-Defect Time Limits

The paperwork that protects you when the job changes — and the clocks that decide how long you can be sued.

1. Change orders

A change order is a written, signed modification to the contract covering added, deleted, or changed work. It should state the added/deleted scope, the price change, and any schedule impact, and be signed before the extra work is performed.

Rule of thumb: no written change order, no extra pay. Doing "out of scope" work on a verbal "just do it" is how contractors end up unpaid. Price it in writing first.

2. Warranties — express vs. implied

• Express warranty = a specific promise you state (written or spoken) about the work or materials (e.g., "labor warranted for 1 year").
• Implied warranty = one imposed by law (e.g., the work will be performed in a good and workmanlike manner) even if you never wrote it down.