Variation record — change to scope or price

Property & tenancy · VIC

Records a change to the work and its effect on the price and the finish date, signed by both sides before the changed work starts.

Who it is for

The job has changed — extra work, a different material, a delay — and you want it recorded in writing before it is carried out, rather than argued about at the final invoice.

When to see a lawyer instead

Where the contract is a major domestic building contract, the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) sets out specific requirements for owner-requested variations, and a builder who does not comply is generally not entitled to recover the money for that variation. This record is a practical document for keeping both sides honest — it does not replace those statutory requirements. If a variation is large, disputed, or the builder has already done the work without agreement, get advice.

What you will fill in

• Date of the original agreement
• Site address
• Client name
• Landscaper name
• Variation number
• Date of this variation
• Requested by (client or landscaper)
• Describe exactly what is changing
• Why is it changing?
• Original contract price in A$
• Change to the price in A$ (use a minus sign for a reduction)
• Adjusted contract price in A$
• Effect on timing
• Revised completion date
• Does this affect a permit?

Source: BIXSO staff-drafted from Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 (Vic) ss 37-39 (variations).

This is legal information, not legal advice.