Quick Answer
A renovation change order is a written, signed amendment to your original contract that documents any change to the agreed scope, materials, price, or schedule. It affects your cost by adding (or occasionally crediting) the price difference, plus any labour and timeline impact, before the work proceeds. A proper change order protects both you and your contractor by capturing the new cost in writing rather than as a verbal promise or a year-end surprise.
A change order is a written amendment that updates your contract's scope and price
A change order is a short, signed document that modifies your original renovation contract whenever the work changes. It records exactly what is being added, removed, or substituted, the new price (or credit), how the schedule shifts, and the date both parties approved it. It is not a casual conversation on site or a text message; it becomes part of your legally binding agreement. At Leo Constra Developments, we issue change orders before the affected work begins, so you always approve a number first and there is never a guess on the final invoice. Common triggers include a homeowner upgrade (think a freestanding tub instead of a standard alcove, or quartz instead of laminate), a design tweak mid-project, or concealed conditions found once walls or floors open up. Each one gets its own line so you can see precisely what drove the cost. The goal is simple: no surprises. A clear paper trail of change orders means the price you settle at the end matches the decisions you actually signed off on along the way, with HST applied as it is to all renovation work in Ontario.
Change orders affect cost by adding materials, labour, and sometimes time
A change order changes your cost in up to three ways: the material price difference, the added or reduced labour, and any timeline impact that ripples into the rest of the build. If you upgrade tile partway through a bathroom, you pay the difference in material plus any extra setting labour; if you delete a feature, you receive a credit. Some changes look small but trigger trades you did not budget for, moving a sink can mean a plumber, an electrician, drywall patching, and a fresh inspection, so the line item reflects more than the fixture itself. Concealed conditions are the other big driver in older GTA homes: knob-and-tube wiring, undersized panels, rot, mould behind tile, or out-of-level framing in century houses across Toronto, Hamilton, and parts of Mississauga. These cannot be priced until they are visible, which is why a well-run project carries a contingency. As a rough guide, many homeowners hold roughly 10 to 20 percent of the project value in reserve, with the higher end for older or whole-home work where more can hide behind finished surfaces.
On Leo Constra projects, no change order proceeds without your written approval
On a Leo Constra renovation, work outside the signed scope does not start until you have approved a written change order with its price and schedule impact. This protects your budget and keeps the project honest. When something comes up, we pause the affected task, document the option and cost, and send it to you to review, often the same day so momentum is not lost. You can approve, decline, or ask us to price an alternative. For a bathroom (estimated from about $15,000, with mid-range projects roughly $20,000 to $35,000), a single upgrade can be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; on a whole-home renovation (estimated $50,000 to $200,000-plus), changes can be larger but are tracked the same disciplined way. Every figure is an estimate until we confirm it on site, and HST is extra. We are licensed, insured, and WSIB-cleared, and our work carries a 2-year written workmanship warranty, so the contract and its amendments mean something. Keeping change orders in writing is also how we stand behind the final number with no end-of-job shock.
You can minimize change orders with a thorough plan and a realistic contingency
The best way to control change orders is to make as many decisions as possible before demolition and to budget a contingency for the ones you cannot foresee. Finalize your layout, fixtures, finishes, and appliance specs up front, because every decision deferred to mid-project tends to become a change order under time pressure, often at a worse price. A detailed scope and a clear allowance for items like tile, countertops, and plumbing fixtures keeps surprises down: if your real selection lands above the allowance, the change order is just the difference, not a renegotiation. Ask any GTA contractor how they handle concealed conditions and how change orders are priced and approved before you sign. For older homes in Toronto, Markham, Oakville, or Burlington, expect at least some hidden surprises and reserve 10 to 20 percent accordingly. A reputable contractor will welcome these questions. At Leo Constra, our detailed quoting and pre-construction planning across 27 GTA cities exist specifically to shrink the number of change orders you ever see, and to make the ones that are unavoidable easy to understand and approve.
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