> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.x.build/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Change orders

> Add or credit work after signing without redoing the estimate

## 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](/platform/project-finances) 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](mailto:support@x.build).*

### 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.

| Field            | Details                                                                                        |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Title**        | "Add gutters and downspouts", "Credit — skip the shed roof"                                    |
| **Lines**        | Free-form descriptions with an amount each — they describe the change, not estimate line items |
| **Price change** | What the addendum does to the contract total: positive for added work, negative for a credit   |

If the added work needs dispatching, link [work orders](/platform/work-orders-and-crews) to the addendum.

### 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](/features/e-signatures-and-authorization)).

### 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 a…                 | Result                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**               | Stays in the list marked Void, counting toward nothing                                                                 |
| **Authorized addendum** | Its price change comes back out of the contract total and balance due; the record of the reversal stays on the project |

Void is final — a voided addendum can't be re-authorized. If the work is back on, create a fresh addendum.

### 4. When not to use one

* **The proposal isn't signed yet.** [Edit the estimate](/features/editing-estimates-and-proposals) — 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](/platform/project-finances) and let the profit rollup tell the truth.

### 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](mailto:support@x.build).