Approval methods
A text can be a change order. Most texts are not.
Almost nobody is pulling out a carbon-copy change order book on a Tuesday afternoon. The approval happens by text, because that is where the customer already is. The question is not whether a text counts - contractors get paid on text approvals constantly. The question is which texts hold up and which ones fall apart the moment someone disputes them.
Direct answer
A text works as an approval when it contains three things: what the added work is, what it costs, and a clear yes from the customer to that specific figure. A text missing the number is not an approval, no matter how enthusiastic the reply is. Put the scope and the price in your message, and let their reply be the yes.
01Workflow
How to make a text approval hold
- 1
Write the added work in one plain sentence, not jargon.
- 2
State a specific number in the same message. This is the part that fails most often.
- 3
Say it is outside the original quote so it cannot be absorbed later.
- 4
Ask a question that requires a yes or no: 'Am I good to proceed?'
- 5
Wait for the reply before you touch the work, and keep the whole exchange together.
02Practical notes
What matters in the field.
'Just add it to the bill' is not an approval.
One contractor put it perfectly: telling you to add it to the bill approves the work, not the amount. It is like handing someone a contract and having them sign the dinner table instead of the line. They agreed to something happening. They did not agree to a number, and the number is the only part anyone ever fights about.
Put the channel in the contract up front.
Several contractors write into the original agreement that changes can be approved by text or email. One reported zero pushback from customers on this - it reads as convenience, not legalese. Doing it in advance removes the awkward moment later where you have to explain why a text counts.
The casual phrasing gets answered faster.
'Please reply APPROVED to authorize' sounds like a lawyer wrote it, and it sits unread. 'Am I good to proceed?' gets answered in minutes because it sounds like a person on a job site. Both create the same record. Only one of them actually gets a reply while you are standing there.
Silence is not consent.
If you send the price and hear nothing, you do not have an approval - you have a sent message. Contractors who treat no-reply as a yes end up in the exact dispute the text was supposed to prevent. No answer means call, or stop and move to other work until you get one.
Confirm a verbal yes in writing while it is fresh.
When the customer says yes out loud, send a one-line confirmation before you start: 'Confirming the extra outlet work we just discussed, $180, per your OK.' A confirmation the customer reads and does not correct is far stronger than an unrecorded hallway conversation.
03Checklist
What has to be in the message
The added work described in plain language
A specific price, or a clear not-to-exceed figure
A line stating it is outside the original quote
A yes or no question at the end
Their reply, kept with your message rather than separately
The whole exchange saved to the job record, not just the reply
Example
The text that works
Found the wall is already open, so moving those three outlets higher is doable today.
That's outside the original quote - it would be another $180 for labor and materials.
Am I good to proceed?
04FAQ
Common questions.
Is a text message legally binding?
In practice, contractors rely on text approvals routinely and they carry real weight because they are dated, written, and in the customer's own words. Whether a specific exchange is enforceable depends on your contract, your state, and the size of the job, so treat a text as strong evidence rather than as a substitute for a signed contract on large work. For anything significant, ask a local attorney how your agreement should handle changes.
Should I still get a signature?
For small add-ons, a text with the price and a clear yes is usually enough and far more likely to actually happen. For discovered problems, half-day additions, or anything that changes the schedule, a signed ticket with photos is worth the extra two minutes. Match the paperwork to the size of the change.
The customer replied with a thumbs up. Does that count?
It is better than nothing and worse than a word. A reaction can be explained away as acknowledgement rather than agreement. If that is all you get, reply once more in writing: 'Great - proceeding with the outlet work at $180, thanks.' Now the agreement is stated in text by you and uncorrected by them.
See what the approval record looks like.
Open the sample PDF first, then download SiteTicket AI if this is close to how you handle added work, customer approval, and invoice backup.
Related guides
Change order with signature: what to capture before extra work starts.
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Extra work approval text: wording to send before continuing.
Copy-ready wording contractors can send when a customer asks for extra work while the job is already underway.
Contractor change order template for small extra work.
A practical contractor change order template for extra work, added cost, customer approval, and invoice handoff.