How to Create a Construction Change Order in Google Sheets

Step-by-step instructions on how to create a construction change order template in Google Sheets

If you’re needing to create a change order for your construction project, Google Sheets is a great option. If you'd prefer to use Microsoft Excel, check out our article on how to create a construction change order template in Excel.

Similar to Excel, Google Sheets gives you the ability to create a change order from scratch or use a pre-made template to get started from. Better yet, Google Sheets is completely free and it’s just as powerful.

An additional benefit you’ll get from Google Sheets is the ability to easily share and collaborate with other teammates, clients, or subcontractors in real-time on your change order from anywhere.

While the Google Sheets template library doesn’t offer a ready-made change order template for construction, they do offer a template that will give a great place to start from.  

However, if you’d rather start with a change order template that was built just for construction and designed in Google Sheets, check out the free change order template we've created, which you can download and start using immediately.

Also, if you’d like to learn more about creating, managing, invoicing, and ultimately reducing change orders in construction, check out our article Construction Change Orders 101. 

To get started creating your change order from an existing template in Google Sheets, just follow the step-by-step instructions and images below:

Creating your construction change order template in Google Sheets

1. Click here to open Google Docs. You’ll need to log in or create a free Google account to get started.
    
2. Open Google Sheets by clicking the 3 lines at the top left and selecting “Sheets".
   

3. You should see the template gallery at the top, but if you don’t, click on the left menu, then “settings,” then check mark “Templates - Display recent templates on home screens.”

4. Click “template gallery” to expand the gallery and see all your options.
   

5. Within the “work” section of templates look for the Purchase Order template.

6. Click on the template to open the file and get started.

7. Since this template wasn’t created specifically to be a change order, we’ll need to customize it to better fit our purpose.
   
   Use the image below as a guide to the changes you’ll want to make to the top half of the template.
   
   Note: If you’d prefer to use a template already created for residential construction projects that you don’t need to customize, you can download our free construction change order template for Google Sheets and get started from there.
   

‍

8. On the bottom half of the template, use the image below to reference the changes you’ll want to make.
   
   Note: In the total section, we’ve replaced the tax cell with markup, but the formula remained the exact same.
   

9. Once you’ve made all of the necessary customizations, you can fill in  your remaining change order items.
   
   
10. Once your change order is complete, you can generate a PDF document (File -> Download -> PDF Document) to share or invite your team and clients to the document for review/approval.
    ‍
11. As a final step, be sure to make a copy (File -> Make A Copy) to create a master construction change order template that you can continue to reuse. Name it and organize it accordingly within your Google Drive storage structure.

Free Construction Change Order Template

If you don’t like any of the templates that Google Sheets has to offer, and you choose not to use our construction change order template, you’re likely to find several other free templates available with a simple search on Google. 

Construction Software for Change Orders

For something even better, check out the video below to see how easy it is to create a change order with BuildBook construction management software, then sign up for a free 10-day trial and try it for yourself completely risk free. With BuildBook, you can create, send and capture approvals for change orders in less time than it takes to fire up a Google Sheets spreadsheet.

‍

The #1 Free Construction Estimate Template

P.S. We've also created the #1 construction estimate template for Google Sheets that is 100% free to download and use as your own. Check out the video below to learn more and then download it for free.