A change event is the earliest record of a possible change: an RFI answer that adds scope, an owner request, a hidden condition, a design error, a code issue. It captures that something happened and may cost money or time, before pricing or entitlement is settled. One change event can lead to several potential change orders, or to none.
Why it matters
Much margin fade starts as a change event no one logged. If you only track signed change orders, you miss exposure that is already being spent in the field. Logging events early lets the PM estimate the cost, protect the notice deadlines in the contract, and include the risk in cost-to-complete.
Worked example
Illustrative: RFI-212 on Riverside Medical Center confirms fire dampers are required. The PM opens a change event the same day, attaches the RFI, the superintendent’s photo and the daily log, and enters a rough order of magnitude of $80,000–$90,000. That estimate goes into the forecast immediately. Later it is priced and approved as CO #14 at $86,400.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a final price before logging anything.
- Missing the contract’s written-notice window for changes and claims.
- Leaving dead events open forever, which inflates exposure reports.
How os.construction handles it
We’re building change events as the first step of a single change chain, so an event can carry its estimate into the forecast before it ever becomes a PCO or CO.