Variation (variation order): definition and example
A change to the work in your subcontract that your main contractor instructs, such as extra, changed or omitted work.
By Jack Butler-Kettle · Updated
Guidance for England and Wales. Check the contract, amendments and facts that apply to your job.
What it means in practice
Read this alongside NRM 2: Detailed measurement for building works.
A variation changes the agreed work under the applicable contract. An instruction, entitlement to payment and valuation are related but separate questions. Comparing the original scope with the changed requirement helps distinguish additional work from something already included in the price.
Record the change, its authority and its effect. Variation recovery can help connect those records to a supported valuation.
Worked example
The facts
A drawing revision adds ten doors to a joinery package.
What happens
The subcontractor compares the revision with the original agreed drawings and scope.
It records the instruction and prices the additional doors under the valuation rules.
What this shows
The claim explains what changed and how it is valued, instead of relying only on the fact that another drawing was issued.