Echelon Field Notes
Practical guidance on the commercial loose ends that remain after the work is done.
Change orders, extra work, retainage, closeout, and the records that connect them.
Unpaid Change Orders: What to Review Before Writing Them Off
An unpaid change order is not one problem. The first job is to determine exactly where the item stopped moving.
Read field noteUnbilled Change Work: Finding the Break Between the Field and Billing
Extra work can be real, documented, and still fail to reach the final commercial account. The review starts by tracing the handoff.
Read field noteConstruction Retainage: What to Reconcile When Final Money Is Still Outstanding
Retainage is part of the final commercial account. A review should distinguish the balance itself from the conditions delaying its release.
Read field noteConstruction Project Closeout: The Commercial Questions to Answer Before Archiving the File
Physical completion and commercial completion are not the same event. Before a project file is put away, the final account should reconcile.
Read field noteWhat Is a Construction Change Order Audit?
A completed-project change-order audit is a reconciliation exercise: compare what happened in the work with what ultimately reached the commercial and financial record.
Read field note