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Working with change orders

A change order records a change agreed after signing — added gutters, rotten decking, a credit — without touching the signed estimate. XBuild calls these records addenda; they live on the project’s Construction tab. The Finance tab computes the contract total and balance due from the signed proposal plus authorized addenda, so authorizing one updates what the customer owes immediately. This feature is available on select XBuild plans. If you don’t see it in your account, contact support@x.build.

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1. Create a change order

  1. Open the project’s Construction tab and find the addenda section.
  2. Create a new addendum with the fields below.
  3. Save. The addendum starts as a draft — visible to your team, counting toward nothing, fully editable.
If the added work needs dispatching, link work orders to the addendum.

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2. Mark it authorized

When the customer agrees — on the phone, over text, on the driveway — open the addendum and click Authorize. XBuild records who authorized it and when, and from that moment:
  • The contract total includes the price change and the balance due reflects it.
  • The addendum is locked — authorized addenda can’t be edited.
Authorization is your confirmation that the customer said yes; there’s no separate signature ceremony on the addendum, so keep whatever record of the agreement you’d normally keep. The original signed proposal is untouched (see E-signatures and authorization).

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3. Void instead of delete

There is no delete for addenda — a record the contract total once pointed at must never disappear. The off-ramp is Void: Void is final — a voided addendum can’t be re-authorized. If the work is back on, create a fresh addendum.

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4. When not to use one

  • The proposal isn’t signed yet. Edit the estimate — change orders are for changes after signing.
  • Your own overrun. If a surprise costs you more but the customer isn’t paying more, record the extra as an actual cost and let the profit rollup tell the truth.

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5. Troubleshooting common issues

  • The balance due didn’t change after I created the change order. Drafts don’t count — only authorized addenda feed the contract total. Click Authorize once the customer has agreed.
  • I can’t edit an addendum. It’s been authorized or voided — locked by design. For a further change, create another addendum; to undo it, void it.
  • I authorized the wrong amount. Void the addendum and create a new one with the right numbers. The voided record stays visible.
  • I don’t see the addenda section. It lives on the Construction tab, which is part of the gradual rollout. If the tab is there but the section isn’t, contact XBuild Support.
For further assistance, contact XBuild Support at support@x.build.