Extra work and change orders

Not legal advice. This page is a plain-English summary for general information. It may be incomplete, and the statute text controls. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Contractors State License Board or any government agency. For advice about your contract, consult a licensed California attorney.

What the statute says

Short quotes and close paraphrases; “…” marks omitted text. Read the full section at the link.

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(d)(13)

The heading “Note About Extra Work and Change Orders,” followed by: “Extra Work and Change Orders become part of the contract once the order is prepared in writing and signed by the parties prior to the commencement of work covered by the new change order. …”

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(e)(3)

The buyer may not require extra or change-order work without written authorization; a change order is not enforceable against the buyer unless it identifies the scope, the amount added or subtracted, and the effect on payments or completion date in writing before the work starts; and failure to comply “does not preclude the recovery of compensation … designed to prevent unjust enrichment.”

In plain English

Changes and extra work become part of the contract only when written up and signed by both sides before that work starts.
Each change order should say the scope, the price change, and how it affects the payment schedule or completion date.
If subcontractors are used, change orders also need the subcontractor disclaimer (see the subcontractor page).

What the checklist looks for

The “Note About Extra Work and Change Orders” heading and statement.
The buyer-side change-order statements.

What it can't check

Your actual change-order forms.

Sources

Bus. & Prof. Code §7159(c)(5), (c)(7)(C), (d)(13), (e)(3) (https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=BPC&sectionNum=7159)

Open the checklist (runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded).

Last checked against the statute text on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov on 2026-10-28. Laws change; check the current text. Lathcheck is a working name and prototype.