Every experienced contractor knows
that the owner who tells you on
Monday to finish the extra work at all
costs (“Just get it done, whatever it
takes!”) may not feel the same way
about paying for the extra work when
he gets your invoice.
In my experience, the most common
owner-contractor dispute is over change
orders. Change order disputes often
result in the contractor losing money, as
well as the trust and confidence of the
owner (and sometimes his subs). And if
there have been other areas of dispute
with the owner, disagreeing about
change orders often pushes the contractor
to the brink of litigation.
The best way to avoid disputes over
change orders is to establish a