Unsigned extra work

Definition

Extra work with no signed order never entered the contract, so the customer never owed it.

Why It Matters

California does not merely make an unsigned change order hard to prove; it keeps that work out of the contract entirely, which means the customer never owed it. The order has to state three things: the scope of the extra work, the money added or subtracted, and what it does to the payment schedule. The same section caps a downpayment at one thousand dollars or ten percent of the contract price, whichever is less. A handyman book grows on small additions agreed at the door, so ask to see the change orders from three recent jobs. If none exist on paper, some share of the revenue being priced was never collectible.