What a flooring change order is for
Pulling up an old floor shows what nobody could see: water damage at the toilet, a dip in the kitchen, tack strip glued in place. A change order with the finding, a photo and the price, signed before the new floor goes down, keeps the job honest and protects the floor's warranty.
What to put on a flooring change order
- The original estimate.
- What was found, with photos.
- Added repairs, rooms or stairs.
- Credits.
- The new total.
- Signature before installing over it.
A worked example
Under the old vinyl, the subfloor by the dishwasher is soft from a slow leak, and the owner adds the hallway. They decide to keep the old baseboards.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace soft subfloor by dishwasher | 16 | sq ft | Your price |
| Add hallway, luxury vinyl plank | 80 | sq ft | Your price |
| Credit: reuse baseboards, no new quarter round | -240 | ft | Your price |
Sign this before installing over the repaired spot. A floor laid over soft subfloor fails, and the maker's warranty will not cover it.
Line items flooring installers use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury vinyl plank, installed | sq ft | Product line, wear layer and click or glue-down. |
| Engineered hardwood, installed | sq ft | Species, width and floating, nail or glue. |
| Solid hardwood, installed | sq ft | Species, grade and finish. |
| Tile, installed | sq ft | Tile size and pattern; tile itself an allowance or supplied. |
| Carpet and pad, installed | sq ft | Carpet line and pad weight. |
| Remove and haul old flooring | sq ft | Carpet, tile, vinyl or wood; glued floors take longer. |
| Subfloor leveling | sq ft | Self-leveler or grinding where the floor is out of flat. |
| Underlayment | sq ft | Type and whether it is a vapor barrier. |
| Baseboard or quarter round | ft | Remove and reinstall, or new. |
| Transitions and thresholds | each | Where floors meet. |
| Stair treads | each | Per step. |
| Move furniture | room | Say what you move and what the owner moves. |
| Sand and refinish hardwood | sq ft | Coats and stain color. |
Terms and deposit language for flooring
- Deposit. A deposit at signing orders flooring, which often needs time to arrive and acclimate. Check your state's rules on deposits.
- Payment. Balance due when the floor is installed and trim is done.
- Warranty. Products carry the maker's warranty, which may require proper installation and moisture limits. State how long you warrant your installation.
- Subfloor condition is checked after removal; repairs or leveling found are priced by change order.
- Material quantities include a waste allowance; leftover boxes stay with the customer.
- Doors may need trimming for new floor heights; say who does it.
How to fill it in
- Put in the original estimate number and amount.
- Write what changed in the reason box, plainly.
- Add the new work; type a minus quantity for any credit.
- Fill in the days added.
- Print it for a signature on site, or send it from Koira to sign by phone.
Free tools for flooring
The same change order for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, drywall, electrical, fence, garage door, general contractor, gutter, handyman, hvac, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, remodeling, roofing, septic, snow removal, solar, tree service, waterproofing, window cleaning.