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
