# A client asks for extra work after the scope is agreed The painting work has been agreed when the client asks whether the hallway can be included too. The contractor needs to separate that request from the original work before promising a price or date. This fictional example turns the two records into a draft change, with the missing decisions left visible. Canonical: https://areinum.com/examples/construction-extra-work-scope-change/ Language: en Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Fictional example The owner's request: What is different from the agreed painting scope? Draft the change I need to review. Information provided: - Agreed scope: paint the walls of two bedrooms. - Client's later message: 'Could you also paint the hallway walls?' - No agreed price or schedule effect for the hallway is recorded. Example result: Draft change: add painting of hallway walls to the agreed two-bedroom wall painting. Additional price: to be assessed by the contractor. Schedule effect: to be confirmed. Client decision on the added work: pending. The next step: The contractor assesses the extra work, agrees a proposed price and schedule effect with the client, and records the client's decision before planning the addition. ## Compare the original work and the request The agreed scope covers painting the walls of two bedrooms. The client's later message asks for the hallway walls to be painted as well. The original scope does not include the hallway. The message does not give an agreed price or say whether the schedule will change. Those details need the contractor's assessment and a conversation with the client. ## Prepare the change without filling in the gaps A draft can identify the existing scope, the requested hallway work and the points still to agree: price and any effect on the schedule. Keeping those fields open is more useful than copying the original price into a new scope. The owner reviews the wording, works out the additional price and confirms the scheduling effect before presenting the proposed change to the client through the business's normal process. ## Record the decision before treating the change as agreed In the story, the contractor decides to prepare a proposal and wait for the client's decision on the additional work. The original two-bedroom scope remains identifiable on its own. If the client agrees, the contractor records the decision and then plans the extra work; if the client declines, the requested hallway remains outside the agreed scope. ## Questions you may have ### Is the hallway included because the client asked for it? The request identifies additional work. In this example the records do not yet show an agreement on the change. ### Can the assistant price the hallway from this information? The example does not contain enough information for a price. The contractor assesses the work and provides the figure. ### Does a prepared change mean the work is finished? No. It is a draft for discussion and approval; completion is recorded separately after the work. ## Sources and further reading - [NAHB Contracts | NAHB](https://www.nahb.org/NAHB-Community/Member-Benefits/Savings/NAHB-Contracts?sid=59): NAHB describes contract and change forms covering scope, price and schedule. - [When to submit a change order? : r/ConstructionManagers](https://www.reddit.com/r/ConstructionManagers/comments/1i8g4bn/when_to_submit_a_change_order/): A discussion asks how to document small additions to an agreed construction scope. ## Related reading - [AI for small construction businesses: keep changes and decisions clear](https://areinum.com/ai-for-small-construction-businesses/) - [Review the next step before it affects someone else](https://areinum.com/product/decisions-and-control/) - [How to keep business knowledge useful as things change](https://areinum.com/guides/keep-business-knowledge-useful-as-things-change/) Explore the demo: https://platform.areinum.com/ See how the assistant can help prepare work. Access may need to be arranged.