CHANGE ORDER CONTROL

Capture. Document. Support. Track.

A defined administrative process for turning project changes into organized, traceable proposal records with complete supporting backup.

1. What This Service Does

Change Order Control is the administrative control of project changes before they disappear into email, memory or incomplete backup. RPE opens the change record, gathers supporting information, follows up for subcontractor and vendor pricing, organizes the documentation and assembles a review-ready proposal package for the contractor’s Project Manager.

The contractor PM retains the commercial strategy, pricing decisions, negotiation and official submission authority. RPE’s role is to make sure the change is documented, traceable and supported.

2. Why It Matters

Construction changes are rarely the problem by themselves. Uncontrolled changes are. When an RFI response, ASI, bulletin or field condition creates extra work, the project needs a record showing what changed, when it changed, who was affected and what backup supports the cost and time request.

RPE helps prevent potential changes from becoming forgotten work, unsupported claims or end-of-job reconciliation problems.

3. What Is Included

• Open and maintain Potential Change Order (PCO) / change-event records.
• Log the originating document, date, description and affected scope.
• Create and maintain the supporting backup folder for each change.
• Issue RFQs or pricing requests to authorized subcontractors and vendors.
• Follow up on outstanding subcontractor / vendor pricing and required backup.
• Audit incoming backup for scope alignment, dates, quantities and required supporting information.
• Assemble proposal recap, subcontractor/vendor backup, drawings, RFIs, ASIs, photos and other supporting records.
• Maintain change status, submission date, owner/A/E status and disposition history.
• Cross-reference approved changes to subcontractor change records and project financial support as authorized.

4. How the Process Works

The standard workflow is: Trigger → Open PCO → Collect Backup → Assemble Proposal → PM Review / Owner Submission.

5. Typical Change Triggers

• Approved RFI response that changes the contract requirement.
• ASI, bulletin, sketch or revised drawing.
• Owner or design-team direction.
• Differing / changed field condition identified by the contractor.
• Scope clarification that creates additional cost or time.
• Subcontractor or vendor notice tied to a documented project change.

6. Responsibilities and Handoffs

RPE controls the documentation workflow. The contractor PM retains the commercial position, final pricing strategy, owner negotiation and approval of change-order dollars.

7. What You Receive

• A controlled change / PCO log with current status.
• An organized record for each identified change event.
• Tracked subcontractor and vendor pricing requests.
• Review-ready proposal backup assembled in one location.
• Traceable links between the change trigger and supporting project documents.
• A documented disposition history for approved, rejected, revised or pending changes.

8. What We Need From Your Team

• Prompt notice of RFIs, ASIs, bulletins, directives or field conditions that may create cost or schedule impact.
• Access to the agreed project document system and current contract records.
• Authorized subcontractor / vendor contacts for pricing requests.
• PM direction on pricing strategy, markups, contractual position and owner submission.
• Timely review of assembled change packages before formal submission.

9. Service Boundaries

• RPE does not decide whether the contractor is contractually entitled to payment.
• RPE does not set final pricing, markups or negotiation strategy.
• RPE does not negotiate with the Owner / A/E as the contractor’s commercial representative unless expressly authorized.
• RPE does not approve subcontractor change-order dollars on behalf of the contractor.
• RPE does not direct changed field work, means and methods or safety operations.

10. Commercial Summary

11. The RPE Service Promise

No unidentified change. No scattered backup. No mystery status. This standard is published so the contractor understands how RPE controls the administrative record behind project changes while the Project Manager retains the commercial decisions and owner relationship.