A change order is a formal adjustment to the contract price or scope after work has started. Some are unavoidable — a genuine hidden condition. But most of the ones that wreck budgets were predictable from the bid itself.
Where they come from
Vague language ('as needed'), allowances instead of firm prices, 'TBD' items, and missing unit pricing all leave room for the price to grow. When the work actually happens, the gap becomes a change order — and because the job's underway, you have little room to push back.
How to see them coming
The signals are in the bid before you sign: count the allowances, look for firm quantities, and check that every trade the job needs is actually priced. Our change-order red-flags guide lists exactly what to look for — and BidsScores scores change-order risk on every bid automatically.