I85PREP
⌘ K
DE Plumber study materials
DE Plumber study resources

Change Order and Schedule Impact on a Repipe Job

DE Plumber · Put your knowledge to work in context.

All case studies

Change Order and Schedule Impact on a Repipe Job

You are the plumbing subcontractor on a 12-unit apartment repipe. Your contract is a lump sum of $96,000 with a 30-day schedule. On day 8, the general contractor directs you to add shutoff valves at every fixture (originally only at each unit) and to reroute one stack around a newly discovered beam. The added valves are 48 extra valves at $35 each installed, and the reroute adds 16 labor hours at $85 per hour plus $400 in materials. The GC says to 'just do it and we'll sort it out later.' Your original schedule had float of 3 days. The reroute will delay the affected units by 4 days. You must decide how to proceed and protect your position.

1. Calculate the cost impact of the two changes and identify the contractual steps you must take before proceeding.

Read the worked answer

Valves: 48 x $35 = $1,680. Reroute labor: 16 x $85 = $1,360. Reroute materials: $400. Total change cost = $1,680 + $1,360 + $400 = $3,440.

Contractual steps before proceeding:

  1. Issue a written change order request or RFI documenting the directive and pricing.
  2. Get written authorization (signed change order) before performing the work, or a written directive to proceed on a time-and-materials basis.
  3. Document the GC's oral instruction in writing the same day.
  4. Update the schedule and notify of time impact.

'We'll sort it out later' is not authorization; proceeding without written direction risks non-payment.

2. Assess the schedule impact and describe how you would handle the delay and any claim.

Read the worked answer

The reroute delays affected units by 4 days. Original float was 3 days, so the delay exceeds float by 1 day and could push the overall completion by 1 day unless resequenced.

Handling:

  1. Update the schedule to show the 4-day impact on affected units and resequence work to other units to absorb the 3 days of float.
  2. Issue a written time-impact notice to the GC within the contract's notice period.
  3. If resequencing cannot recover the day, submit a delay claim for the 1 day of extended overhead, with documentation.
  4. Track all added labor and materials daily for the T&M backup.

Do not absorb the delay silently; notice preserves your right to a time extension.