Variations, priced and signed off before the work starts

Describe the change in plain English, Toolie prices it and the extra days, and the client approves or declines on a link — the margin you lose to “while you’re here” work, captured properly.

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The extras are where the margin leaks

Unpriced “while you’re here” changes are how a good job ends up a break-even one. Toolie makes a variation quick enough that you actually raise it. Type the change — “add 2m to the deck” or “upgrade to the stone benchtop” — and it infers the extra materials and labour, prices them and estimates the programme impact in working days.

Two ways to price, both defensible

Quick variation — materials, labour hours and rate, margin and GST for a fast one-off
Quote-diff variation — add and omit items against the original quote so the price is new total minus original total, the method NZCB / Master Builders RBC1 expects
Capture the reason (client request, hidden condition, code compliance, unforeseen, design change) so declines and disputes are analysable, not just free text
Choose fixed price, time-and-materials, or margin-on-subs, and record the extra days so the completion date moves honestly

Approved remotely, on a link — no login

Send the client an approval link. They see the scope and the price, and Approve or Decline without an account — a decline is captured with a structured reason. The decision lands back against the job with a timestamp, and an approved variation flows to an invoice or the next progress claim. You get the signed paper trail; they get a clear yes/no.

Part of the whole contract-admin picture

A variation often starts as an answered RFI, gets evidenced in the site diary, and ends up on a progress claim. See how they tie together in construction management.

More Toolie contract-admin tools: RFIs, variations, retentions & progress claims, site diary · or the full feature guide. Start free at app.toolie.co.nz.

Common questions

What does construction variation software do?

It captures a change to the contracted work - the scope, the price and the effect on the programme - and gets it approved before the work is done. Toolie prices a variation from a plain-English description or as a diff against the original quote, records the reason, and lets the client approve or decline remotely.

Can a client approve a variation remotely?

Yes - you send an approval link and the client opens it, reads the scope and price, and taps Approve or Decline without a login. A decline is captured with a structured reason, and the decision is timestamped against the job.

Is the variation method NZCB/RBC1 compliant?

Toolie's quote-diff method prices a variation as new total minus original total by adding and omitting items against the original quote, which lines up with the variation approach in the NZCB / Master Builders RBC1 building contract. Always check the specific contract you're using.

Does an approved variation get invoiced?

Yes - once approved, a variation can flow straight to an invoice or the next progress claim, so the extra is billed rather than absorbed.

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