Here is what happens when you decide to make a change. The project stops in ways that are hard to understand. You ask the contractor to give you a cost and schedule impact. That can take quite a bit of time especially for small firms. Then they come back and it’s too high, so you ask for an alternate that they have to evaluate. After a round or two you agree and the work is included in the project.
While that happens, the project can grind to a halt. You have made the decision to change but you may not have made all the necessary detail decisions which takes more time. Work sequences may need to change and subcontractors and inspections rescheduled. Lead time on different products may be different and some materials returned.
And the contractor’s project manager is taken away from the tasks of the project. They told you what it will cost and what a delay is, but it will almost always turn out to be more.
This applies equally to times when you flat our change your mind, things that come to light as things are taken apart and decisions that you didn’t really completely make, before construction starts. The takeaway is if you must make a change own up to the disruption. Go to the piece Really Decide Everything and did you remember that I suggested doing a home inspection to uncover these things?
In some cases, the Budget Game may help with changes you just can’t avoid. If using the Budget Game and discussing with your contractor, you can get a quick read on the approximate cost of a change you might just go say ahead. How is your contingency holding? (see the piece Contingency, Your Best Friend). At some point you have to trust your contractor that you will get a fair price and move on.