How to Avoid and Keep up with Change Orders

How to Avoid and Keep up with Change Orders
Change orders refer to the addition or deletion of work that was included in the original scope of your construction project. Though they are a common occurrence in construction, avoiding or keeping change orders to a minimum helps to maintain the original budget and projected completion date.
Circumstances that commonly lead to change orders include:
Owner requests
Errors or modifications in original project plans or specifications
Unforeseen site conditions
Advances in technology
Code changes
While some circumstances cannot be avoided, you can take stepas to reduce the number of change orders in your construction project.
Increase Collaboration and Communication between Design Team Members and Project Owner

Often, change orders occur due to miscommunication between members of the design team. By having your designer, engineer, and architect work together with you on your construction plan, everyone on the team has a clearer understanding of the overall goal of the project; as well as what is needed from each of them to bring the project to completion. Collaboration also helps keep costs down when circumstances such as changes in building codes and advances in technology occur during the construction process.
Insure Accurate Surveying for the Project
Unforeseen site conditions is one of the most common factors that lead to a change order. This situation occurs when the project site is not accurately surveyed. Hiring a reputable engineer team can reduce the chances of running into unforeseen conditions.
Hire an Interior Designer
Hiring an interior designer at the beginning of your construction or remodel allows the designer to work closely with other members of your design team to insure your vision can be fulfilled with the plans set in place by your architect and contractor. An interior designer can also keep track of decisions that have already been made and help you see the big picture of how those decisions may affect other decisions down the road.

Consult with Cabinet Designer when Changes are Needed
Your cabinet designer’s work includes much more than just building cabinetry. They must include factors such as plumbing and electrical design into their plans, and their work is often the first to be affected by change orders. By consulting with your cabinet designer when changes are needed, your designer will be able to communicate clearly with other construction team members to insure your changes can be made without blowing the project budget.