Clause library
Change control clause, explained
A change-control clause says how extra scope is requested, priced and signed — so a chat message does not quietly rewrite the job.
Last updated 28 October 2026
What does a change control clause do?
Change control is the process for varying the work: a request, an impact on fee and dates, then a signed change. In England and Wales, if the contract says variations must be in writing and signed, an oral addendumAn addendum is a short, written change to an existing contract, signed by both sides so the original terms stay the same except for what the addendum updates.More in the glossary is not effective: Rock Advertising [2018] UKSC 24. We record the extra fee and date on the same shared contract.
Can we change scope by email or Slack?
Only if the variation clauseA variation clause says how the signed contract can be changed. In England and Wales, if the clause requires changes to be in writing and signed, an oral variation is not effective: Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB Business Exchange Centres Ltd [2018] UKSC 24. The usual commercial form is a no-oral-modification line.More in the glossary allows it. After Rock Advertising, a clause that says in writing and signed is effective: an oral or informal variation will not rewrite the paper. An email can be writing; whether it is a signature depends on the clause. The clean path is an agreed edit on one shared link, e-signed. See variation clause.
How is a change different from a new statement of work?
A change order or addendum edits the current job: one extra page, a moved date, a revised fee. A new statement of work is the right tool when it is a new job under the same standing terms. If the master says statement of workA statement of work (SOW) is a document that describes the specific work, deliverables, timeline and fees for one project.More in the glossary form part of the agreement, a new SOW is itself a variation. Say which paper wins.
Who pays for extra work done before the change is signed?
The clause should say. A common rule is that the supplier does not start extra work until the change is signed, and work done without a signed change is not payable as extra. That is how a studio stops building a ninth page on a verbal yes. If work has to start, sign a short change that names a cap.
What should a change request contain?
The extra or reduced scope, the effect on fee, the effect on dates, and any change to intellectual property or the revision limit. Both sides sign it. On Contracts.io that is an edit on the live contract. Lex keeps one version; the executed version is the one with the new words in it.
Example wording
Example · our own drafting
If either party wants to change the Services, it will send a written change request. The Supplier will, within [5] business days, set out the effect on Fees, timetable and Deliverables. A change is effective only when both parties have signed it. The Supplier is not obliged to start extra work, and the Client is not obliged to pay extra Fees, until that signature. No oral variation of this agreement is effective.
In Plain English
If either side wants to change the job, it writes that down. Within five working days the supplier says what it does to the fee, the dates and the deliverables. The change only counts once both sides have signed it. Extra work does not start, and extra money is not due, before that. A chat message does not rewrite the contract.
What should you watch for?
| Point | Watch for | Push for |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Silence on how a change is signed, or a Slack ‘yes’ treated as a variation. | In writing and signed, with e-signatureAn e-signature is any electronic way of showing agreement to a document, such as a typed name, a drawn signature or a click.More in the glossary on the shared contract counting. |
| Money | Extra work started on a verbal go-ahead. | No extra work, and no extra fee, until the change is signed. |
| Paper | Six informal emails instead of one addendum. | One change note that states the new fee and date. |
| SOW | A new statement of work that quietly rewrites liability. | An order-of-precedence line, and legal terms left in the master. |
| IP | Added deliverables with no word on who owns them. | The same IP rule as the original job, or an express carve-out. |
Which contracts include it?
Lex includes this clause in, among others:
- Statement of work
- Website build agreement
- Services agreement (master services agreementA master services agreement (MSA) sets the legal terms for an ongoing relationship, with each project then agreed in a separate statement of work.More in the glossary)
What does the law say?
Where a contract contains a clause that variation must be in writing and signed by or on behalf of the parties, an oral variation is not effective. The parties have bound themselves to a specified method of variation and the court gives effect to it.
Source: Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB Business Exchange Centres Ltd, [2018] UKSC 24Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
Draft a statement of work with this clause
Free for the other sideLex drafts it in Plain English beside the legal wording. Share one link; both sides agree and sign.
Frequently asked questions
What does a change-control clause mean?
It is the process for varying the work: a written request, an impact on fee and dates, then a signed change. It stops a chat message rewriting the job.
Can we vary scope by email or in a meeting?
Not if the clause requires a signed writing. Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB [2018] UKSC 24 gives effect to no-oral-modification clauses. An agreed edit on one shared link, e-signed, is the clean path.
Is a change order the same as a new statement of work?
No. A change order edits the current job. A new statement of work is for a new job under standing terms. See /glossary/statement-of-work and /glossary/addendum.
Who pays if extra work starts before the change is signed?
The clause should say extra work does not start, and extra fees are not due, until both sides have signed. That is how you avoid building a ninth page on a verbal yes.
How should we record a change on Contracts.io?
Edit the live contract, agree the mark, and e-sign the updated wording. That is a signed variation in the form Rock Advertising requires. Do not park the change in a side thread and leave the signed PDF untouched.
Sources
- Rock Advertising Ltd v MWB Business Exchange Centres Ltd, [2018] UKSC 24Checked 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review
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The legal wording governsLast reviewed 28 October 2026Pending lawyer review