Change Directive Example for Construction Teams

A change directive example matters most when the work cannot wait for a signed change order. The owner needs the work done. The schedule is moving. The price or time impact is still under review. If the directive is vague, the field is left carrying out extra work without a clear record of who ordered it, what it includes, or how the cost will be handled.

That is how legitimate extra work turns into an argument months later.

A construction change directive should give the field enough direction to proceed while protecting every party’s right to resolve cost and schedule impacts under the contract. It is not just an email that says, “Please take care of this.” It is a controlled project record.

What Is a Construction Change Directive?

A construction change directive is a written instruction authorizing a change in the work when the owner and contractor have not yet agreed on the change order amount, time extension, or both. In many standard contract forms, the owner can issue the directive through the architect or other authorized representative.

The directive tells the contractor to proceed. It does not automatically settle entitlement, pricing, productivity loss, delay responsibility, or a time extension. Those items may remain open for later evaluation.

This distinction matters. A signed change order generally reflects agreement. A directive is often unilateral. The contractor may be required to perform, but should preserve its contractual notice rights and document the actual effect of the change.

Whether a directive is appropriate depends on the project contract. Some contracts use the term construction change directive. Others use change directive, field directive, architect’s supplemental instruction, or written instruction. The label matters less than the authority behind it and the language in the governing agreement.

Change Directive Example: A Field-Ready Format

Below is a practical example of the core information a directive should contain. It is not legal advice or a replacement for the project contract. It is a working model for creating a clear record before crews start.

Project Change Directive No. 014

Project: Riverfront Medical Office Building Date Issued: October 15, 2026 Issued By: Architect, acting on behalf of Owner Directed To: Prime Contractor Related Documents: RFI 087, revised structural sketch SK-22, revised MEP drawing M-4.3

Description of Directed Work:

Proceed with relocation of the 4-inch domestic water main at Grid Lines C-7 through C-10 to avoid the revised structural grade beam. Provide all required demolition, excavation, pipe, fittings, supports, insulation, testing, backfill, restoration, and coordination with affected trades. Maintain service to occupied areas as required by the project phasing plan.

Reason for Directive:

Revised structural design conflicts with the water main location shown in the original contract documents.

Pricing and Time:

This work is directed to proceed pending determination of adjustment, if any, to the Contract Sum and Contract Time. Contractor shall submit detailed daily labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, and schedule-impact records in accordance with the Contract Documents. This directive does not establish agreement on price, time, means and methods, disruption, or delay.

Required Notice and Documentation:

Contractor shall provide written notice of anticipated cost and time impacts within the period required by the contract. Daily records must identify crews, hours, equipment, quantities, work locations, weather where relevant, delivery tickets, photographs, and any access or sequencing restrictions.

Authorization:

Authorized Owner or Design Representative: ____________________ Date: ____________________

That example is useful because it does four things. It identifies the authority issuing the instruction, defines the changed scope, ties the work to supporting documents, and clearly states that cost and time remain unresolved. Without those elements, the directive can create more confusion than it solves.

What a Good Directive Does Not Do

A directive should not force the field team to guess. Statements such as “relocate piping as needed” or “perform all work required” are too open-ended unless they are backed by marked drawings, sketches, limits of work, and clear references to the affected area.

It also should not bury critical language in a meeting minute. Meeting minutes may confirm discussion, but they are not always a contractual direction. If the work affects cost, duration, sequencing, safety, or trade coordination, issue a formal written directive through the correct channel.

Most importantly, do not treat a directive as permission to skip notice requirements. Some contracts require notice within a short window. Missing it can weaken a claim even when the owner plainly directed the work.

The Field Record Starts the Same Day

The directive creates the instruction. The daily report proves what happened after that instruction reached the jobsite.

Once directed work begins, the superintendent should establish a separate cost code, change number, or tracking category. The goal is not to create more paperwork. The goal is to avoid mixing changed work with base-contract production. If two plumbers spend six hours relocating the water main, that labor needs to be recorded against the directive, not hidden inside general plumbing manpower.

Daily records should capture the date, location, crew names or classifications, regular and overtime hours, equipment used, materials installed, deliveries, and photographs before, during, and after the work. Record the specific condition driving the work as well. In this example, that could include photos of the grade beam conflict, layout markings, excavation limits, and the temporary measures required to maintain service.

For disruptions, document the cause and the consequence. “Crew delayed” is weak. “Plumbing crew unable to continue water-main relocation from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. because structural excavation remained open at Grid C-8; two journeymen and one foreman reassigned to Area D” is useful. It establishes who was affected, how long, why, and what mitigation occurred.

Mobile daily reporting helps because the record is created while the details are still fresh. Construction Reporting Apps is built around that field reality: reports need to be complete enough to support the office, a change request, or a dispute without turning the end of the day into a second shift.

Price and Time Are Separate Questions

A common mistake is treating a price proposal as the whole change. It is not. A directive can affect direct cost, supervision, equipment, material escalation, subcontractor cost, overtime, remobilization, lost productivity, and schedule duration. Not every project supports every category, and the contract controls what is recoverable. But the records should preserve the facts before anyone decides what is compensable.

Time deserves the same discipline. If the directed work moves through a noncritical area and can be absorbed without affecting completion, the time impact may be zero. If it blocks a successor activity, forces out-of-sequence work, or consumes a planned weather window, it may affect the schedule. The contractor should update the schedule logic when required and give timely notice of any anticipated impact.

Do not wait until the end of the month to identify a potential delay. By then, the crews have moved, conditions have changed, and memories have softened. A contemporaneous report is harder to challenge than a reconstructed narrative.

Keep the Office and Field Aligned

The superintendent does not need to negotiate the final change order in the field. The superintendent does need to make sure the work being performed matches the directive and that the records match the work.

Before starting, confirm the directive number, affected drawings, work limits, and who has authority to answer scope questions. During the work, flag conditions that exceed the written direction. Afterward, send the daily backup promptly so the project manager can prepare pricing, issue notice, coordinate subcontractor support, and evaluate schedule exposure.

There is a trade-off here. Over-documenting every minor clarification can slow a project down. Under-documenting a material change can leave a contractor funding owner-directed work with no defensible trail. The right threshold is tied to risk: document anything that changes scope, cost, sequence, safety conditions, access, or contract time.

A well-written directive will not eliminate every change dispute. It will do something more useful: give the field a clear instruction, give the office usable facts, and give the project a record that can stand up when the work, cost, and schedule are reviewed later.