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Variation notice template — the 90-second email that saves the claim

Verbal directions are directions - right up until it is time to pay for them. This template is the habit that beats the clause: a same-day email confirming the site direction as a variation, followed by the formal notice your contract requires. Send the first part before you leave site, every time the work changes.

When to use it

The builder's team directs a change on site - more scope, different materials, a redesign, out-of-sequence work
You are asked to "just sort it while you're here"
A drawing revision or RFI response changes the work you priced

PART 1 - SAME-DAY SITE CONFIRMATION (send before you leave site)

Subject: Variation - [project name] - [short description] - [date]

Hi [name],

Confirming our discussion on site today ([date]) regarding [describe the change - e.g. additional GPOs to the level 2 meeting rooms / revised setout to grid B].

We are treating this direction as a variation under the subcontract. Formal notice and pricing will follow within the contract timeframes.

Unless you advise otherwise, work will proceed on that basis.

Regards,
[name]
[company]


PART 2 - FORMAL VARIATION NOTICE (send within your contract's notice window)

NOTICE OF VARIATION
Contract: [subcontract title / number]
Project: [project name]
Date: [date]
To: [head contractor], Attention: [contract administrator]

1. Notice is given under clause [X] of the subcontract that the following direction constitutes a variation to the works.

2. The direction: [describe the changed work]. Directed by [name / role] on [date], [verbally on site / by email / by drawing revision no. X].

3. Effect on the works: [summary - added scope / changed materials / out-of-sequence working].

4. Price: [amount if known, ex GST / to be advised - a detailed price will follow within [X] business days].

5. Program: [no effect anticipated / an extension of time will be claimed separately if the variation delays the works].

6. [Company] reserves its rights under the subcontract and at law.

Signed: [name, position]
[company]

Free to use and adapt. Replace every [bracketed placeholder] before sending.

Template, not legal advice. Your contract's clauses and your state's Act govern - check both (especially clause numbers, notice periods and service requirements) before this goes out on a real dispute.

Using it well

The date is the whole game

Most subcontracts put a short window - sometimes two business days - on variation notices, drafted as an absolute bar. The Part 1 email exists to anchor the date inside that window while the details catch up.

Never let 'we'll sort it later' delay the email

The relationship on site and the assessment of your claim are handled by different people. The person who assesses it deals only in documents. This email is the document.

Check who can direct variations

Many contracts say only certain people can direct a variation. If the direction came from someone else, your email creates the record that puts the builder on notice anyway - and invites them to correct it.

The template protects the claim. The contract decides it.

Your notice windows, the clause numbers and whether the bar is absolute all live in your subcontract. The free scanner reads them in about 90 seconds — benchmarked against real Australian subcontracts.

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Common questions

Do I really need to send a variation notice for small changes?

Yes - the habit matters more than the amount. Small undocumented changes accumulate into large unpaid scope, and the same short notice window applies to a $500 change as to a $50,000 one. The Part 1 email takes 90 seconds.

What if the builder says a direction is not a variation?

Then you have a documented disagreement instead of a silent one - which is exactly where you want to be. Keep performing under protest if the contract requires it, keep records of the cost, and the notice preserves your claim.

Is a verbal direction on site enforceable?

Many contracts require variations to be directed in writing, which is why verbal directions so often go unpaid. Your same-day confirmation email converts the verbal direction into a written record - and gives the builder the chance to withdraw it in writing if they disagree.

Keep reading

General information and a starting-point template, not legal advice. Contracts and state Acts differ and change — verify clause numbers, statutory sections, notice periods and service requirements before use, and get advice on a live dispute. Nothing on this page is uploaded or stored. Built by Mat Kennedy at The Construction Contracts Co.