Variation register template
Follow each change from instruction through notice, valuation and payment application without losing its supporting records.
by Jack Butler-Kettle · About 3 min readShare
How to use it
Give each change a stable reference. Keep the instruction, required notices, valuation and application reference together.
A register records what happened. It does not turn an unauthorised instruction into an entitlement or replace notice requirements in your contract.
Variation register
Keep stable references from instruction through valuation and application. Amounts exclude VAT.
Free blank template for your own project. The completed example is shown below. No email address required.
View the completed example
Completed fictional example
Variation register
Scroll across if needed to read the whole record. A dash means no value has been entered.
| Variation ref | Change description | Instruction / date / authority | Notice / date / service proof | Valuation evidence | Claimed value (£) | Assessed value (£) | Difference (£) | Application ref / date | Status / next action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V-001 | Additional partitions, Level 2 | SI-17 / 2026-09-01 / authority checked | N-17 / 2026-09-02 / receipt retained | Drawing rev C; quantities Q17; agreed rates | £6,000.00 | £4,200.00 | £1,800.00 | APP-06 / 2026-09-20 | Request explanation of excluded quantities |
| V-002 | Revised door ironmongery | SI-19 / 2026-09-05 / authority checked | N-19 / 2026-09-06 / receipt retained | Supplier quotation SQ19; scope comparison | £2,500.00 | £2,500.00 | £0.00 | APP-06 / 2026-09-20 | Valuation agreed; trace payment separately |
Leave an absent assessment blank. This is a record, not a contractual notice. Reconcile actual payments separately.
Understanding your results
Use the status and value columns to distinguish notified, priced, assessed and agreed changes. Check that instructions and evidence support each item. A register entry does not itself authorise work or establish an agreed valuation.
How it works
- Record what changed, who instructed it and the instruction date. Keep the original drawing, email or site instruction.
- Check authority, confirmation requirements and notice deadlines against your contract. Record what you actually sent and retain proof of service.
- Build the valuation from the applicable rates or evidenced cost. Link quantities, daywork sheets and invoices to the same reference.
- Compare claimed and assessed values at the same date. Leave an absent assessment blank rather than entering an assumed zero.
- Reconcile each item to the application and payment records. A valuation difference does not show the entire unpaid balance.
The fictional example records £6,000 claimed and £4,200 assessed for additional partitions, leaving a £1,800 valuation difference.
Our Change valuation and compensation-event quotations service maintains the ordinary change record and valuation. An Variation Recovery examines disputed instructions, valuation and payment.