Field notes
What belongs in a variation file before you approve the cost
Change orders accumulate quietly. The files behind them should not.
A variation without a paper trail is a conversation waiting to become a dispute. When we audit change orders on architecture projects, we look for a short, consistent file — not a novel.
The instruction itself
There should be a dated architect’s instruction, site instruction, or agreed minutes that describe the change. Verbal direction remembered differently by two parties is not a file.
Measurement that someone else can follow
Sketches, marked-up drawings, and take-off sheets should let a third party rebuild the quantity. If the only support is a single total on a claim form, the audit will flag it.
Rate logic in plain sight
Whether the rate comes from the contract bill, a build-up, or daywork, the path should be readable. Opaque lump sums invite delay at certification time — and again at final account.