In this guide 6 sections
A quote revision log has one row per change. Record the revision number, what changed, who asked, the effect on price and programme, and the client’s written approval with its date. Keep it beside the signed quote so upgrades get billed rather than absorbed.
What the log is for
The signed quote describes the job as it was priced. Every request after signing departs from it, and without a record that departure turns into a memory. Memories differ.
The log turns each departure into a row. It shows the client what was asked and what it cost, and it shows your crew what is now in scope.
It protects the estimator as well. When a site visit exposes a cast-iron stack or a dropped beam, the log shows exactly what was assumed at pricing time, which saves a long argument.
The columns that matter
Keep the layout short enough to fill on a phone. Six to eight columns are plenty, and each needs a clear rule for what goes in it.
The description should name the item, the room and the specification, so write “swap 18 mm BWP plywood back panel for veneered panel, master wardrobe” rather than “upgrade wardrobe”. Vague rows cannot be priced or defended.
The price effect can be a rise, a fall or nil. Credits matter too, since a client who deletes a feature expects to see it come off the contract value.
- Revision number and date
- Room and BOQ line affected
- What changed, in plain words
- Requested by, with the channel it came through
- Price effect and programme effect
- Client approval: signature, email or message reference
Who fills it and when
The site supervisor opens a row the moment a request is heard. The estimator prices it within a day. The project manager collects the client’s yes before any material is ordered.
Never let an order leave on a verbal nod. A two-line message reading “approved, per revision 4” is enough, and it gets attached to the row so that anyone opening the file can see it.
Review the log at every weekly site meeting. Rows without approval get chased, not forgotten.
Handling common remodelling changes
Remodelling throws up hidden conditions, such as rotten joists behind a bathroom wall, a conduit run that cannot be reused, or a screed that is out of level. Log these as separate rows with photographs, since the client had no hand in them.
Upgrades are different. A better tile, a deeper sink, extra sockets, a shifted partition. These come from the client and deserve a price before work starts.
Set a rule for small items: anything above an amount the owner names needs written approval, and the rest can be grouped into one weekly row.
- Hidden conditions with photos
- Client upgrades and substitutions
- Removed scope and credits
- Authority or landlord requirements
From log to final bill
At each stage bill, pull the approved rows and add them to the invoice as separate lines. The client then sees the original quote value, the approved revisions and the new contract total in one view.
Rows awaiting approval stay off the bill but on the list. The closing meeting clears them one by one.
Start tomorrow. Add the log to the open job with the most site visits, and back-fill every change you can remember from the past fortnight.
Quote revision log sheet
A single printed page with an eight-column table: revision number, date, room and BOQ line, change described, requested by, price effect, programme effect and client approval reference. A footer holds the original quote total, approved revisions total and current contract value.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Is a message from the client enough as approval?
For most jobs a written message that names the revision and the change is enough. Check your contract for any clause that asks for a signature, and follow it.
Should small changes go in the log?
Yes, but you can group them. A weekly batch of small items with one approval keeps the log readable without slowing the site.
Where should the log live?
Keep it in the same folder or project file as the signed quote. If your team uses software, the log should link each row to the BOQ line it changes, so the contract value updates by itself and nobody retypes a total.
What if the client refuses to pay for a change already done?
The row showing the request source and a photo gives you the basis for a calm conversation. Without it, the discussion rests on memory alone.