A pool change order is a written change to a signed pool contract. It says what is changing, what that does to the price and the schedule, and who approved it and when. Changes are a normal part of building pools. This guide covers what counts as a change, what a pool construction change order has to state, the examples builders see most, and how to keep the price and the bills straight afterwards.
This guide ends with a plain checklist you can use as a change order template for pool work. It is not legal advice. Rules for change orders differ by state, so check with your own state's contractor board or your attorney.
PoolStack publishes this blog. We make software for pool companies, and change orders are part of how it runs a build.
What is a pool change order?
A change order amends the contract. The original agreement stays as it was signed, and the change order sits on top of it with its own number, price and approval. It can add work, remove work or swap one thing for another. A credit is a change order too.
You may also hear addendum, extra, extra work order or variation. Whatever the name, it belongs in writing.
A change order is only as clear as the contract under it. California's Contractors State License Board makes the point in its guide for contractors: to decide whether something is extra, you first have to look at what the original contract says. A tight scope up front makes every later change easier to price and easier to explain.
What counts as a change on a pool build?
Anything that alters the scope, the price or the schedule in the signed contract. On a pool build, changes come from three places.
- The homeowner asks. A spa, a tanning ledge, more deck, a heater, a cover, better lights, a different finish.
- The site decides. Rock, groundwater, buried debris, an unmarked utility, poor soil or tight access found during the dig.
- Someone else requires it. A plan reviewer, an inspector, an engineer or an HOA asks for something that was not in the plan.
Not everything is a change. A selection the contract already allows for, such as picking a tile from the included range, is not one unless it moves the price. Fixing your own mistake is not one either.
Some builders write up selections on the same form anyway, so every decision on the job leaves one paper trail.
What must a pool construction change order state?
Four things, at a minimum: the scope, the price change, the schedule change and the approval.
- Scope. What is being added, removed or swapped, in enough detail that a new foreman could build it. Name the materials, the model numbers and the location.
- Price change. The amount added or taken off, the contract total before, and the contract total after.
- Schedule change. The days added or removed, and the new completion date. If the change does not move the schedule, say so.
- Approval. Who approved it and when, in writing, from both sides, before the work starts.
Some states spell this out. California's Contractors State License Board covers it in its guide to home improvement contracts. The board says extra work and change orders become part of the contract once the order is prepared in writing and signed by the parties, before any of the work it covers begins. The order must describe the scope, the cost to be added or subtracted, and the effect on the schedule of progress payments. The guide treats swimming pool contracts alongside home improvement contracts.
Arizona Revised Statutes 32-1158.01, on the Arizona Legislature's site, says any changes, additions or deletions to the work in a residential pool contract shall be included in a written change order. Nevada Administrative Code 624.6958, on the Nevada Legislature's site, says a contractor must ensure that each contract for work on a residential pool or spa is evidenced in writing, and that any changes to the contract are evidenced in writing too.
Those are examples, not a full list. Check your own state's rules before you settle on a form.
What are the common pool change order examples?
The same handful come up on job after job. Each has its own details to pin down before anyone signs.
| Change | Why it comes up | What to pin down |
|---|---|---|
| Rock in the excavation | A hard dig found once the hole is open | Hourly or unit rate, a ceiling on the cost, haul-off, days added |
| Groundwater | Water comes into the dig | How it will be pumped, the equipment, who pays to run it, days added |
| Added feature | The homeowner adds a spa, a ledge, a water feature or more deck | Drawings, any engineering or permit revision, price, days added |
| Material swap | Plaster to pebble, concrete deck to pavers or stone, different tile or coping | Price difference, lead time, effect on crews already booked |
| Equipment upgrade | A bigger heater, a different pump, automation, a salt system, a cover | Model numbers, electrical or gas changes, price |
| Credit | The homeowner removes something | The amount taken off and what is no longer included |
Rock is the classic. Nobody can price what they have not seen, so settle it in the contract before the dig: say how rock, groundwater and other hidden conditions will be priced, and that each one will be handled by a change order. When it happens, stop the dig, take photos, and get the change order approved before the hammer arrives.
A change you cannot price exactly still needs a number. Price it by time and materials, and state the most it will cost. A rate and a ceiling give the homeowner something to approve.
Timing matters as much as price. A homeowner who switches the interior finish the day before plaster means the crew has to be rescheduled. A change order that says nothing about dates leaves the homeowner expecting the old finish day.
Added features can reach back into the permit. A spa or a water feature that was not on the approved plan may need a revised drawing, engineering or a plan review before the work is legal to build. Ask your building department, and put that time into the change order.
How do you get a pool change order approved?
The rule is simple: no written approval, no work. Get the change approved before you order the part or do the work, and tell your subs the same rule applies to them.
- Stop the work the change touches. Keep the rest of the job moving.
- Write it up the same day, with photos or a sketch.
- Price it. If you cannot price it exactly, give a rate and a ceiling.
- State the effect on the schedule and when the money is due.
- Send it to the person who signed the contract. Keep one point of contact on each side.
- Get the approval in writing before you order or build.
- File it with the job, then tell the crew and the subs.
Make it clear who can say yes. On your side, name one person who prices and sends changes. A sub or a crew lead should never agree a change with the homeowner in the yard. On the homeowner's side, the approval should come from the person who signed the contract.
A yes on the phone is not an approval. If the homeowner agrees by phone while a crew is standing by, send the change order right then and wait for the written approval before the changed work starts. California's Contractors State License Board guide, for example, says a change order becomes part of the contract once it is in writing and signed by the parties before the work it covers begins. Check what your own state requires.
Public and commercial pools add a step. A change from the approved plans may need the regulator to be told first. South Carolina's Department of Environmental Services, for example, says on its page about pool change orders that Public Swimming Pool Regulation 61-51 requires written notification to the department before changes are made from the originally approved pool plans and specifications.
How do you keep the price and the bills straight after a change?
This is where builds go sideways. A few change orders in, nobody agrees on the total. A few habits prevent that.
- Number every change order, and never reuse a number.
- Keep the original contract price untouched. Show it, then each approved change, then the current total.
- Decide when each change is billed: on its own when the changed work is done, or with the next draw.
- Update the draw schedule. A bigger contract can change the draws that are left.
- Record the cost side too. The bill for the rock hammer belongs on the same job as the change order that covers it.
- Do not bill a change that was declined or never approved.
In PoolStack you price the added work or the credit and send it. The homeowner approves or declines it in their portal. Approved changes move the project total. The original agreement stays intact, so you can always see what was agreed first.
Where the rules tie payments to the contract price, the change order feeds the draws directly. Arizona's statute, for example, measures its progress payment limits against the original contract price plus any written change orders the purchaser approved. Our guide to the pool construction draw schedule covers that side.
Change order template for pool builders: the fields to include
A change order template for pool work does not need to be long. It needs the same fields every time, so nothing gets left off when the crew is waiting.
- Builder name, license number and contact details.
- Homeowner name and job address.
- Original contract date or number.
- Change order number and date.
- Who asked for the change, and why.
- A description of the change: added, removed or swapped, with materials and model numbers.
- Drawings, photos or plan sheets attached.
- The price added or credited, with the breakdown you want to show.
- The contract total before and after.
- Days added or removed, and the new completion date.
- When the change is billed, and its effect on the payment schedule.
- Whether a permit or engineering revision is needed.
- Approval in writing: names and date, for both sides.
- Any notice your state requires on the form.
Which change order mistakes cost pool builders money?
- Doing the work on a verbal yes.
- Rolling several changes into one vague line.
- Leaving out the effect on the schedule.
- Forgetting the credit when something is removed.
- Letting a sub agree a change with the homeowner.
- Billing the change long after the work is done, when nobody remembers agreeing to it.
A good change order protects both sides. The homeowner knows what they agreed to pay for, and you get paid for the work you did. It also keeps the schedule honest, because every added day is written down next to the reason for it.
PoolStack keeps change orders on the same build as the schedule and the draws. It is $79 a month, all access. Early adopters lock that rate for life.