Contract Clause Library
Change order clause
Defines the formal process for adding, removing, or modifying scope after the contract is signed — and requires sign-off before extra work starts.
This is the clause that operationalizes the concept of a change order (see the Glossary): it specifies how a scope change gets proposed, priced, and approved, and — critically — whether work can start before that approval lands. It's the mechanism that's supposed to stop scope creep before it happens, if it's actually followed.
Sample wording
Sample language (illustrative, not legal advice)
Any request to add, remove, or modify the deliverables described in the applicable Statement of Work must be submitted in writing. Vendor will provide a written estimate of the fee and timeline impact within 5 business days. No additional work will begin until Client approves the change order in writing.
Red flags
- No requirement that work pause pending approval, which leaves the door open to "just start it and sort the paperwork out later"
- Vague or missing timeline for the vendor to produce an estimate, letting change requests stall indefinitely
- Approval method left undefined (a verbal "sure, go ahead" on a call counts as written approval?)
How MarginFlow reads it
This is one of the clauses MarginFlow's alert logic leans on most directly: an out-of-scope request detected in email gets checked against whether a change order was actually issued and approved under this exact process before any related work activity — the gap between the two is precisely the billable, unbilled work this product exists to catch.
Related reading