Jobsite Paperwork, Part 1 Lead carpenters play a big part in generating, tracking, and administering change orders. The lead needs to clearly document them for several reasons:
* Documenting the change from the very beginning helps track the time required to finalize the process.
* The lead carpenter is the person who best knows the current jobsite conditions and how the change will affect them, and vice versa.
* It helps the leads keep track of their thought processes, so they can refer to the forms to see how they intended to accomplish the changes.
* It helps track a lead’s ability to accurately estimate changes.
A complete change order should include the following:
* The date the change was first discussed.
* The materials needed for the change to be built.
* The subcontractors to contact and an explanation of how the change affects their work.
* The time frame for the change, divided into phases.
* Any discussion the lead had with the client about cost. It is a great idea for the lead to “qualify” the change by discussing the cost with the client. –Tim Faller, Field Training Services, www.leadcarpenter.com.