A change log is most useful while the project can still choose what happens next. If it is reconstructed only when the invoice arrives, details about the request, scope and authority may already be uncertain. This Calgary Project Workbook provides a plain record for additions, deletions and altered conditions. It helps a property owner and contractor keep proposals separate from decisions. It does not replace a signed contract, determine liability or create a right to additional payment; those questions require the governing agreement and appropriate advice.
Preserve the baseline that the request changes
Start each entry with the current drawing revision, accepted scope and affected area. Describe the proposed difference against that baseline. Avoid “extra work as discussed,” which makes sense only to the people who remember the discussion. A short marked sketch can show a new bed edge, added strip or reinstatement area more clearly than several paragraphs of general description.
Use a permanent change identifier and date. Do not recycle the identifier when a proposal is withdrawn or superseded. Keep the earlier proposal with its status so a later reviewer can see how the decision developed. The approved revision should point to the exact scope and price basis it accepts, rather than merely naming an old conversation.
Describe the trigger without assigning blame prematurely
Distinguish an owner-requested addition, newly exposed condition, material alternative and reported defect. Record what was observed and where. If another trade disturbed an area, preserve the dated evidence while the project reviews responsibility. The technical work needed and the commercial responsibility for it are related questions, but they should not be collapsed into one unsupported statement.
The Government of Alberta — construction contract administration resources directory includes examples of clarification, extra-work and final-detail records for public construction. Its forms and approval system belong to that context. A private landscape project should use its own agreed process. The useful lesson is to keep the request, authorized instruction and completed work identifiable, not to copy government authority into a homeowner's worksheet.
Define the changed work before discussing a total
List preparation, materials, treatment area, access, visits and early care affected by the request. A new area may need more than application. A deleted area may still leave a reinstatement or temporary-protection obligation. Ask whether the change affects existing work, sequence or acceptance, and identify any professional or regulatory decision required before proceeding.
| Change-log field | Useful entry | Common ambiguity to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Marked polygon and drawing revision | “Back area” without a boundary |
| Reason | Observed condition or requested design change | Unproven fault statement |
| Proposed scope | Complete operations and care effects | Application quantity alone |
| Decision | Authorized person, date and accepted revision | Silence treated as approval |
Use a separate status for under review, rejected, approved, completed and awaiting verification where the project permits those labels. A proposal can be commercially approved while still awaiting a technical release. Show the condition explicitly. Marking every approved price “ready to proceed” may conceal an unresolved site decision.
Check the effect on other project information
If the change cites a specification, record the applicable edition. Calgary's City of Calgary — current landscape publication editions index is a local example of why version matters. Do not let “same as before” conceal a different material or a superseded reference. Ask the responsible reviewer to confirm equivalence where that decision is required.
Update affected boundaries, measurement sheets and care instructions together. If a change moves a path, the planting area and traffic route may both change. If a repair is applied later than the original area, it needs a separate installation history. The log should name every record that requires revision, so completion is more than checking off a construction task.
Use an illustrative added-strip entry
Assume an accepted 420 m² scope and a proposed additional 35 m² strip after a garden layout changes. The log identifies the strip, its current preparation condition and unconfirmed watering reach. The contractor can then explain the proposed work and visit implications. Adding 35 to the quantity without those details would make the arithmetic correct while leaving the scope incomplete.
Once the authorized person accepts a defined revision, record the new total and retain the original baseline. If the strip remains held for another trade, state that it is approved scope awaiting release. No price or warranty conclusion follows from this example. The actual contract determines authorization, notice and commercial treatment.
Close the change with a receiving person
After work, attach the installed-area record and any required verification. Identify remaining concerns and who owns the next decision. Transfer changed care responsibilities to the maintenance lead; filing an invoice does not tell that person about a new planting area.
Review the final log for conflicting versions and entries marked complete without evidence. Keep disputed items labelled accurately and obtain appropriate advice where rights or responsibility remain unclear. Continue with area takeoff, work sequencing and acceptance records.
Sources and further reading
- Government of Alberta — construction contract administration resources
- City of Calgary — current landscape publication editions
Read each source in its own product, jurisdiction and project context. Local requirements and the actual project documents govern the work.
Bring the chapter into your project
Keep the relevant measurements, documents, observations and unresolved questions together. Your enquiry brief remains editable before you choose to send it.
Prepare your project enquiry ↗