How to Fill Out the AIA G701 Change Order Form

To fill out the AIA G701 change order form, complete the project and party header exactly as they appear on the prime contract, write a specific description of the work being added or removed, run the five-line cost ledger to arrive at a new contract sum, adjust the substantial completion date, and secure signatures from the owner, contractor, and architect. The form is one page, but each field feeds into pay applications, bonds, and insurance for the rest of the project, so accuracy on the small details matters as much as the signatures at the bottom.

What to Have in Front of You

Open the prime contract and every previously executed change order before you start typing. You need the following:

Owner, architect, and contractor names and addresses exactly as written in the original agreement. Mismatched entity names can cause problems with insurance claims and bond enforcement later.
The date on the A101 or other owner-contractor agreement this change order will amend.
The original contract sum or guaranteed maximum price from the signed agreement.
The net total of all prior approved change orders, additions and deductions combined into one figure.
The current substantial completion date as adjusted by any earlier change orders.
Supporting backup: cost breakdowns, subcontractor quotes, revised drawings, or specification markups that justify the change. The description field on the form itself is open, but attached backup smooths approval and protects everyone if the change is later disputed.

Work from the 2017 edition of the form. Older versions may not align with the current A201-2017 General Conditions language.¹

Completing the Header

The top of the G701 uses the same layout as other AIA documents. Enter the project name and address or parcel number, then the owner’s name and address, the architect’s name and address, and the contractor’s name and address.² Below the parties, fill in the contract information: a brief description of the services or materials covered by the agreement and the original contract date.

Assign this change order a sequential number that follows the last one approved on the project, and enter today’s date. Sequence matters for auditing and for the Change Order Summary table on the G702 pay application you will file later.

Writing the Scope Description

The section titled “The Contract Is Changed as Follows” is a blank field. Write a factual narrative of exactly what work is being added, removed, or revised. Reference the affected specification sections, drawing sheet numbers, or addenda so anyone reading the form months from now can trace the change back to its technical origin. If the description runs long, attach a continuation sheet or exhibit and reference it in the field, for example: “See attached Exhibit A for detailed scope and pricing.”

Poorly defined scope descriptions are one of the most common reasons change orders end up in dispute.³ “Additional electrical work per field conditions” tells the reader almost nothing. “Add twelve 20-amp circuits to second-floor tenant suite per revised drawing E-201, Rev. 3, dated March 15” gives everyone a clear record of what was agreed to and why.

Working Through the Cost Ledger

The financial section is a five-line ledger. Some lines contain parenthetical options. Cross out whichever term does not apply to your contract, for example striking “Guaranteed Maximum Price” if the deal uses a stipulated sum.²

Line 1, original contract sum or GMP: the dollar amount from the signed agreement.
Line 2, net change by previously authorized change orders: the cumulative total of every prior approved change. This can be negative if prior deductions outweigh additions. Enter zero if this is the first change order on the project.
Line 3, contract sum prior to this change order: lines 1 and 2 added together. This is your starting point.
Line 4, amount of this change order: the dollar value of the current change. Circle or leave visible whether the contract sum will be increased, decreased, or unchanged.
Line 5, new contract sum including this change order: lines 3 and 4 added together. This figure becomes the updated legal ceiling for total project compensation.

A worked example: original contract sum is $500,000, prior change orders total a net increase of $10,000, so the contract sum prior to this change order is $510,000. An additional $5,000 change brings the new contract sum to $515,000. Verify the arithmetic. An error here will flow into every pay application and can trigger a payment rejection from the lender or owner.

Adjusting the Contract Time

Below the cost ledger, the form addresses the schedule. Enter the number of calendar days by which the substantial completion date will increase, decrease, or remain unchanged as a result of this change. Then write in the new date of substantial completion, accounting for adjustments made by prior change orders as well.

This date carries real financial weight. Many construction contracts tie liquidated damages to the substantial completion deadline, so adding five days here could mean thousands of dollars in avoided penalties. Underestimate the time and the contractor is locked into a deadline that may be impossible to meet. Base the adjustment on realistic material lead times and labor availability. Even when the change has no schedule impact, mark the contract time as unchanged and confirm the substantial completion date. Blank fields create ambiguity about whether the parties considered schedule impact at all.

Signatures

Under the A201-2017 General Conditions, a change order is a written instrument signed by the owner, contractor, and architect stating their agreement on the change in work, the adjustment to the contract sum, and the adjustment to the contract time.⁴ All three signatures are required. Without any one of them, the document is not a valid change order under standard AIA terms.

The architect usually prepares the form and signs first, confirming that the change is consistent with the design intent. The contractor signs next, acknowledging the revised scope and price. The owner signs last to authorize the expenditure. The form does not require wet-ink signatures. Electronic signatures work as long as the contract does not restrict them. Once all three parties have signed, distribute copies to each stakeholder for their permanent project files.

Updating the G702 After Execution

Once the G701 is fully executed, the new contract sum has to show up on the next G702 Application and Certificate for Payment. On the G702, Line 2, net change by change orders, pulls from the Change Order Summary table at the bottom of the form, where you list every approved change order through the current billing period. Line 3 then adds that net change to the original contract sum to produce the contract sum to date.⁵

Skip this step or enter the wrong figure and the payment application will not match the executed change orders, and the architect will likely reject the pay app. Keep a running log of every G701 by number, date, and amount so updating the G702 each month takes minutes.

When You Can’t Get All Three Signatures Yet

Sometimes work has to start before the owner and contractor agree on cost or schedule. The G701 is the wrong instrument for that situation because it requires the contractor’s signature and mutual agreement on price and time. Instead, the owner and architect can issue a Construction Change Directive on AIA form G714, which orders the contractor to proceed immediately.⁶ A CCD does not require the contractor’s signature to take effect. The contractor must proceed with the directed work, and the architect makes an interim determination of costs for payment purposes while negotiations continue.

When the parties do reach agreement on the final cost and time adjustment, convert the CCD into a G701 change order to create a clean contractual record.⁷ Open CCDs that never get formalized cause problems at closeout when final accounting has to reconcile every dollar.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Vague scope descriptions. A one-line description invites disagreement later about what was actually authorized. Reference specific drawings, specifications, and locations.
Arithmetic errors in the cost ledger. Every number on the G701 feeds into the G702. A transposed digit means a rejected pay app next month.
Missing or mismatched entity names. If the contractor’s legal name on the change order does not match the prime contract, the document may not hold up against a bond claim or in litigation.
Skipping the time adjustment fields. Mark the contract time as unchanged rather than leaving the line blank.
Sitting on unsigned change orders. Some owners delay signing as a negotiation tactic. Track every pending change order and follow up in writing on a regular cycle.³
Forgetting downstream updates. After execution, update the G702, notify the builder’s risk insurer if the value increased materially, and check whether the surety needs to consent to the higher contract sum. On federal projects governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation, contracting officers must obtain surety consent when a modification changes the contract price by more than 25 percent or $50,000.⁸

1
AIA Contract Documents. G701: Construction Change Order Form
2
Trimble. A Beginners Guide to AIA G701 Change Orders
3
Mauldin & Jenkins. Construction Companies What Change-order Pitfalls To Avoid
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University of Wisconsin. A201-2017 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
5
Procore. How to Fill Out the AIA G702 Application for Payment
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AIA Contract Documents. Changes to the Contract Differences Between Change Orders and Construction Change Directives
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AIA Contract Documents. Construction Change Orders vs Construction Change Directives Key Differences Explained
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Acquisition.gov. FAR Part 28 – Bonds and Insurance