Get Owner Approval for a Change Order

Once the final cost estimate is determined, you can forward the change order (CO) to the owner for approval, depending on its nature and the project’s requirements. The owner can access the CO through their project management console, review its details, and approve or reject it directly from the same interface. Securing the owner's approval: 

• Ensures transparency and accountability in managing project costs. 
• Guarantees that changes remain aligned with the project’s vision and objectives. 
• Ensures compliance with contractual obligations, mitigating the risk of legal disputes.

To forward a finalized change order for owner's approval

• Open the change order, if you haven't done so. To open:
  • Open the management console of the project
  • Click the app launcher  , then select 'Finance.'
  • Click 'Change Order' on the top, then choose 'Boards' on the left
  • Click the change order from the 'Bids Closed' column
• Click the 'Final Cost' tab

• Click 'Route to Owner' if you want to forward the CO to the owner for approval. They can access the CO from their console and approve/reject it. 

Once approved, the CO gets closed and moves to the 'Final Approval' status. You can also download a PDF version of the closed change order: 

• Click 'Completed' on the left to see the list of all closed change orders
• Click the Download Pdf link in the 'Download' column

The approved CO is now available to add to the master schedule of the project. The values like costs, schedule and cost impacts, the subcontractor to whom the work is assigned, etc., are automatically imported to the schedule item from the change order. See Add a change order to the schedule for guidance on this.

Once added to the schedule, the cost of the approved change order work adds to the project budget. You can view the change orders added to the budget in the 'Finance' > 'Budget' > 'Change Order' screen. See View Budget Updates for more details.