Documents & records
Construction change directive (CCD)
A construction change directive is how an owner keeps work moving when a change is needed but the cost and schedule adjustment isn't settled yet. It directs the contractor to proceed on the changed scope, with the price and time to be determined and reconciled later, typically converting to a formal change order once agreed. It exists precisely so a pricing negotiation doesn't stall the field.
Run it with the Photo Gate
Every checklist in the library runs with the submit button locked until its photos exist.
Why it matters
The CCD protects the schedule while protecting the contractor's right to be paid for the change. Because the number isn't locked, tracking the actual cost and time of the directed work (labor, material, the conditions encountered) is what the eventual change order is built from. Thin records here mean leaving money on the table when the CCD is reconciled.
How it shows up on site
A CCD reads like a change order that's missing the agreed price, and it should be logged and tracked the same way. Documenting the directed work as it's performed, including photos of the field condition that drove it, is what turns a disputed reconciliation into a supported one.
Related terms
- Change orderA signed amendment to the contract that changes the scope, price or schedule, agreed by owner and contractor before the changed work proceeds.
- Field directiveA written instruction issued in the field directing the contractor to do or change something, ahead of formal contract paperwork.
- Request for information (RFI)A formal written question from the contractor to the design team when the drawings or specs are unclear, conflicting or incomplete.
- Schedule of valuesThe breakdown of the contract sum into line items of work, used to measure progress and support each payment application.
- Meeting minutesThe dated written record of what was discussed, decided and assigned in a project meeting, distributed for correction and used as the running action log.
- Warranty (construction)A written guarantee from a contractor or manufacturer to repair or replace defective work or product within a defined period after completion.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.
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