Is an electronically signed CO legally enforceable?

Yes — electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA where adopted. Ensure the signature demonstrates intent, consent, attribution, and a retained record to satisfy the legal test.

Do consumer disclosures apply to change orders?

If a CO affects consumer-facing financial or benefit records, ESIGN consumer-disclosure rules (15 U.S.C. §7001(c)) may apply; provide the required opt-out and access confirmation when the law requires.

Can a CO be notarized remotely?

Remote online notarization depends on state law and RON availability; verify the state's rules because procedures for identity proofing, audio-video recording, and retention vary.

Who must sign the CO to make it binding?

Signers must have authority under the original contract or corporate delegation. Check contract signature blocks and internal delegation policies before accepting a signature.

What happens if parties disagree after execution?

Maintain original executed COs, communication logs, and supporting exhibits. Dispute resolution follows the contract — mediation, arbitration, or litigation — depending on the contract terms.

How should executed COs be stored for compliance?

Store executed COs in a secure, auditable repository with retention aligned to IRS rules (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA where applicable (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and your corporate records schedule.

Business CO Template

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

BUSINESS CO TEMPLATE

This General Business Agreement (the Agreement) is made and entered into as of Effective Date: by and between:

Company Name: Company Address: Primary Company Contact: Contractor/Counterparty Name: Contractor Address: Primary Contractor Contact:

Recitals

WHEREAS, Company engages in the business of providing goods and/or services and desires to obtain certain professional services described in this Agreement; and

WHEREAS, Contractor represents that Contractor has the experience, skill and qualifications necessary to perform such services and is willing to provide the services to Company on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and

WHEREAS, the parties desire to set forth the terms and conditions under which Contractor will perform the services and Company will compensate Contractor.

Scope of Work

Contractor shall perform the work and provide the deliverables described below in accordance with the schedules, milestones and specifications set forth herein.

Detailed Scope of Work:

Payment Terms

Total Compensation: $

Payment Schedule and Milestones:

Invoicing and Payment: Contractor shall submit invoices to Company. Payments are due within days of receipt of a properly rendered invoice. Unpaid amounts are subject to a late fee equal to % per month (or the maximum permitted by law), applied to the unpaid balance from the invoice due date until paid in full.

Invoices to be delivered to:

Reimbursable Expenses: Company will reimburse reasonable, pre-approved out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Contractor in connection with the performance of services. All reimbursable expenses must be supported by receipts and pre-approved in writing by Company.

Term and Termination

Term: This Agreement shall commence on Start Date: and, unless earlier terminated as provided herein, shall continue until End Date: .

Termination for Convenience: Either party may terminate this Agreement for any reason upon providing written notice to the other party at least days prior to the effective date of termination.

Termination for Cause: Either party may terminate immediately upon written notice if the other party materially breaches this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice of the breach. Upon termination, Company shall pay Contractor for all services performed and approved expenses incurred through the effective date of termination, subject to setoff for damages resulting from any breach.

Confidentiality

Definition: "Confidential Information" means non-public information disclosed by either party to the other that is designated as confidential or that reasonably should be understood to be confidential given the nature of the information and the circumstances of disclosure.

Obligations: Each party shall (i) maintain the confidentiality of the other party's Confidential Information using reasonable care no less than the care it uses to protect its own confidential information, (ii) use Confidential Information only for the purposes of performing under this Agreement, and (iii) not disclose such information to any third party except as expressly permitted in this Agreement or required by law.

Term: The obligations of confidentiality shall survive for years following the termination or expiration of this Agreement, except with respect to trade secrets, for which the obligations shall survive as long as such information remains a trade secret under applicable law.

Representation, Warranties and Indemnification

Each party represents and warrants that it has full power and authority to enter into and perform this Agreement. Contractor represents that the services will be performed in a professional and workmanlike manner in accordance with generally accepted industry standards.

Indemnification: Contractor shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Company and its officers, directors and employees from and against any third-party claims, liabilities, losses and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of Contractor's gross negligence, willful misconduct or breach of this Agreement.

Limitation of Liability

Except for liability arising from a party's gross negligence, willful misconduct, or indemnification obligations hereunder, neither party shall be liable for special, incidental, consequential or punitive damages, and each party's aggregate liability for any claim arising under this Agreement shall not exceed the total amount paid or payable to Contractor under this Agreement during the twelve (12) month period preceding the claim.

Governing Law

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of without regard to its conflict of law principles. The parties submit to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the state and federal courts located in for any disputes arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

Entire Agreement; Amendment

This Agreement, including all schedules and attachments hereto, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to its subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, proposals, and communications, whether written or oral. No modification, amendment, or waiver of any provision of this Agreement shall be effective unless in writing and signed by authorized representatives of both parties.

Miscellaneous

Independent Contractor: Contractor is an independent contractor and nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to create an employer-employee, partnership, joint venture or agency relationship between the parties. Contractor will be solely responsible for all taxes and other statutory obligations arising from the compensation paid under this Agreement.

Assignment: Neither party may assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party, except that Company may assign this Agreement to an affiliate or in connection with a merger, sale of substantially all of its assets, or similar transaction.

Company Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Counterparty Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What the Business CO Template Is and When It Applies

A Business CO Template is a standardized change order form used to document agreed modifications to an existing contract — typically scope, schedule, deliverables, or price. It records the change rationale, the adjusted cost or credit, any schedule impact, references to the original contract, and signature blocks for all parties. Using a template reduces ambiguity, preserves approval history, and creates a clear paper trail for billing, claims, and audits while aligning expectations between owner, contractor, and subcontractors.

Why a Consistent Change Order Template Matters

A consistent template reduces disputes by ensuring every change is documented with scope, cost, schedule, and approvals. It speeds review, supports auditability, and clarifies contractual obligations for downstream teams and external auditors.

Who Typically Prepares and Signs a Business CO Template

The Business CO Template is used by operational and legal stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.

Project managers and contract administrators who document scope changes and route approvals for execution.
General contractors and subcontractors who need written authorization for additional work, schedule alterations, or price adjustments.
Owners, clients, and procurement staff who approve cost and schedule impacts before payment or acceptance.

Clear role assignments reduce delays and make the approval path auditable and repeatable.

Core Elements to Include in a Professional Business CO Template

Include structured sections so each change is unambiguous, auditable, and traceable back to the original agreement and associated cost codes.

Change Description

A clear narrative that explains what is changing and why, including affected contract sections and any reference documents or drawings for context.

Cost Adjustment

A line-item summary of added or reduced costs, currency, tax treatment, payment timing, and any retainage or milestones tied to the change.

Schedule Impact

The revised start and completion dates, float impacts, liquidated damages adjustments, and any revised milestone acceptance criteria.

Contract References

A cross-reference to the original contract, amendment number, purchase order or invoice numbers, and related change request identifiers.

Approval Blocks

Designated signature, printed name, title, company, and date fields for each approving party plus witness or notary lines if required.

Attachments

Supporting exhibits such as revised drawings, revised scopes of work, cost breakdowns, or time-impact analyses attached as numbered exhibits.

Step-by-Step: Completing and Circulating the Change Order

Follow a clear sequence from drafting to execution to minimize rework and ensure traceability in project records.

01

Draft the CO: Record scope, attachments, cost, and schedule impacts.
02

Internal Review: Obtain approvals from estimating, operations, and legal as required.
03

Send to Approvers: Route to client or owner for signature using tracked distribution.
04

Archive and Notify: Store the executed CO and notify procurement, accounting, and field teams.

Typical Digital Change Order Workflow

A concise digital workflow helps reduce signer friction and creates an audit trail for compliance and billing.

Upload Template: Load the CO template and attach exhibits for the specific change.
Place Fields: Add signature, date, and text fields where parties must enter information.
Send to Signers: Route in order or send parallel links to required approvers.
Capture Audit Trail: Record timestamps, IPs, and authentication events for the executed CO.

Recommended Settings When Configuring an eSubmission Workflow

Configure authentication, signing order, retention, and notifications to match your contract and audit requirements.

Field	Configuration
Signature Order	Sequential routing for approvals
Authentication	Email plus optional SMS code
Notifications	Reminders at defined intervals
Retention	Auto-archive to secure storage

Technical Considerations for Digital Completion

Use a platform that supports PDF/DOCX templates, secure storage, and an auditable signing trail.

File Formats: PDF and DOCX are widely supported
Integrations: Link to ERP or project systems for accounting
Authentication: Enable email or SMS codes

Verify the provider supports your retention, audit, and industry compliance needs and that signed records are exportable for legal holds.

Key Timing Considerations and Common Deadlines

Track internal response windows and external acceptance deadlines to avoid missed approvals and payment delays.

Issue upon Change Discovery:

Issue the CO as soon as the change is approved internally to preserve the claim timeline.

Owner Response Window:

Set an explicit owner acceptance deadline (commonly 7–14 days) to avoid silent acceptance ambiguity.

Signature Deadline:

Specify when the CO becomes effective after signature to avoid start-date disputes.

Invoice Timing:

Tie invoicing to executed CO or a defined milestone to support payment processing.

Record Retention:

Archive executed COs per corporate records policy and statutory retention periods.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing a Change Order

Incomplete scope descriptions that leave technical details to informal communications, creating later disputes.
Failing to update schedule impacts or dependencies, which leads to misaligned field planning and delay claims.
Omitting a clear price breakdown or assuming verbal price acceptance, causing billing rejections and payment delays.
Not routing approvals in the correct order or missing required signers, which invalidates the CO under contract terms.

Risks and Contractual Consequences of an Incorrect Change Order

Contract Breach: May trigger damages, delay claims, or termination rights.

Payment Denial: Accounting may refuse payment without an executed CO.

Scope Creep: Unclear COs permit unbillable work and schedule overruns.

Disputed Claims: Poor documentation weakens entitlement to extra costs.

Audit Findings: Noncompliant records increase audit risk and remediation costs.

Statute Issues: Late claims may be time-barred under contract or law.

Real-World Examples of Digital Change Order Use

Organizations across industries use electronic workflows to reduce execution time and keep audit trails intact.

Tim Martin — Martin Properties

A small property manager shifted CO approvals online for faster turnarounds.

Reduced approval time by removing paper routing.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security. Whether on mobile or working offline, I can get forms back to their necessary parties efficiently."

Brian Fitzgibbons — Optica Ventures LLC

A development firm standardized COs across projects to improve consistency.

Centralized templates ensured uniform cost capture.
"The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

eSignature Pricing and Feature Comparison (signNow listed first)

Compare common supplier features and starting prices to evaluate eSignature options for routing and executing Business CO Templates.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Common Questions About Executing and Enforcing a Business CO Template

Answers to frequent issues when preparing, signing, or storing change orders, including legal and technical considerations.

Need help? Contact support

Is an electronically signed CO legally enforceable?
Yes — electronic signatures are generally enforceable under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA where adopted. Ensure the signature demonstrates intent, consent, attribution, and a retained record to satisfy the legal test.
Do consumer disclosures apply to change orders?
If a CO affects consumer-facing financial or benefit records, ESIGN consumer-disclosure rules (15 U.S.C. §7001(c)) may apply; provide the required opt-out and access confirmation when the law requires.
Can a CO be notarized remotely?
Remote online notarization depends on state law and RON availability; verify the state's rules because procedures for identity proofing, audio-video recording, and retention vary.
Who must sign the CO to make it binding?
Signers must have authority under the original contract or corporate delegation. Check contract signature blocks and internal delegation policies before accepting a signature.
What happens if parties disagree after execution?
Maintain original executed COs, communication logs, and supporting exhibits. Dispute resolution follows the contract — mediation, arbitration, or litigation — depending on the contract terms.
How should executed COs be stored for compliance?
Store executed COs in a secure, auditable repository with retention aligned to IRS rules (IRC §6501(a)), HIPAA where applicable (45 CFR §164.530(j)), and your corporate records schedule.

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