Change Orders Explained: How Small Design Decisions Can Change Price and Timing
The short answer
A change order is a formal, typically written and priced amendment to your original specifications — anything from a different tile to moving a wall. Even a change that seems small can add cost through materials, labour, and administrative fees, and depending on timing can push your completion date. Get every change priced and signed before assuming it's included in your original price.
Key takeaways
- A change order is a formal amendment, not an informal request that happens automatically.
- Small-seeming changes can carry real cost once materials, labour, and admin fees are factored in.
- Change orders generally get more expensive, or become impossible, the later they're requested in the build.
- A proper change order should be priced and signed in writing before work proceeds.
- Planning design decisions early reduces how many change orders you'll need later.
What counts as a change order
Any request to modify your home's original specifications after the contract is signed typically requires a change order — a different flooring product, a moved outlet, a different tile pattern, or something more significant like relocating a wall. It's the mechanism builders use to formally track and price any deviation from what was originally agreed, rather than an informal conversation with a site supervisor.
Why "it's a small thing" doesn't mean small cost
A change that looks minor on paper — swapping one tile for another, adding an extra light fixture — can still involve real cost once you account for the materials difference, labour to make the change, and the builder's administrative fee for processing it. None of this is unreasonable on the builder's part; it reflects the actual cost of deviating from a planned, pre-priced build. The point is simply not to assume "small" means "free" or "already included."
Timing: change orders get harder the later you ask
The earlier in construction you request a change, the more likely it is to be straightforward and reasonably priced. Once framing, rough-ins, or finishes are underway, the same change can become significantly more expensive, delay your completion date, or simply not be possible anymore. If you know you'll want to make changes, raising them as early as possible in the process is the most cost-effective approach.
Get every change priced and signed. A verbal agreement with a site supervisor or sales representative isn't the same as an approved change order. See our piece on verbal promises vs. written agreements.
What a proper change order should include in writing
A proper change order should specify exactly what's changing, the added or adjusted cost, any impact to your completion date, and both your signature and the builder's before work proceeds. If any of these pieces are missing, ask for them before agreeing — this is the same discipline covered in our guide to documents worth keeping for your records.
Planning design decisions to minimize change orders
The most effective way to limit change-order cost is deciding as much as possible before you sign, using the specification sheet as your working document rather than the show home's finished look. Fewer changes requested later means fewer surprises on price and timing.
Ready to look at actual homes?
Weighing a design change and not sure what it'll actually cost? Get in touch — we'll help you think through the timing and the real price impact.
Ryan McCann
Ryan is an Edmonton-based new-construction specialist with MaxWell Polaris and the person behind MoveNew. He's helped over 2,200 clients in the Edmonton area buy and sell their home.
Contact Ryan today at 780-964-8445 to start your new home journey.
Last reviewed 11 August 2026. General information for Edmonton-area buyers — not legal advice. Contract terms, builder practices, and Alberta regulations can change or vary; confirm current details with a real-estate lawyer or the relevant builder before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a deadline for requesting changes?
Most builders set some point in construction after which changes are no longer accepted, though the exact timing varies by build stage and builder. Ask directly and get the cutoff in writing.
Do change orders always cost extra?
Usually yes, once materials, labour, and administrative processing are factored in, even for changes that look minor. Get a specific price before agreeing rather than assuming.
Can a change order delay possession?
It can, particularly for changes requested later in construction or ones that affect trades already scheduled. Ask specifically whether a requested change will affect your completion date.
What if I verbally agreed to a change with a site supervisor?
A verbal agreement on-site generally isn't the same as an approved, priced change order. Follow up in writing and get formal sign-off before assuming the change is confirmed.
What if I have a home to sell?
That is common, and it is worth planning early. The timing question is how a builder's possession date lines up with the sale of your current home — completion dates can move, and carrying two homes or bridging the gap has a real cost. Start with a free home evaluation so you know what your current home is worth, then read our guide to selling before buying new construction.
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