Manage scope changes with variations

This article explains how to create a variation for an existing job. Variations help you manage scope changes and ensure you bill for all the work you deliver.

When a client accepts a quote, its scope and price are locked. If the client requests more work, you need a formal way to update the agreement. A variation acts as a separate quote for the additional work, which is then added to the original job once approved. This keeps your records clean and protects your profit margin.

Before you start

• You need an existing job with a quote that has an Accepted status.
• Your staff member role must have permissions to create and edit jobs and quotes.

Create a variation

You create a variation from within the job that has the change in scope. The original quote remains locked as the source of truth for the initial agreement.

1. Navigate to Jobs and open the relevant job.
2. Select the Quotes & Invoicing tab.
3. You will see the original quote listed with its Accepted status.
4. Click the + New button and select Variation from the dropdown menu.
5. A new quote screen opens. It is pre-filled with the job and client details. The quote type will be set to Variation.
6. Add line items representing the new scope of work. Be specific in your descriptions so the client understands what they are approving.
7. Review the totals for the new work.
8. Click Save to save the variation as a draft, or click Send for Approval to send it to the client.

💡 Tip: When you send the variation, add a personal note in the email body. Explain why the variation is needed to maintain transparency and trust with your client.

Manage the approval process

A variation follows the same approval workflow as a standard quote. Your client receives an email with a link to a proposal they can review online.

Once a variation is accepted, the job's financial summary updates. The Quotes & Invoicing tab will show the original quote amount, the variation amount, and the new, combined Job Total. This also updates your revenue forecasts.

How variations affect invoicing

Adding a variation keeps your billing process clear and accurate. The line items from an accepted variation become available to bill on future invoices for the job.

When you create a new invoice, you will see the variation's line items in the list of available items to bill, alongside any unbilled items from the original quote. You can choose to invoice for all or some of the items from both the original quote and the variation, giving you full control over your billing schedule.

ℹ️ Good to know: The value of a variation is not included in the calculation for an initial deposit invoice based on the original quote. If your process requires a deposit for additional work, you may need to raise a separate deposit invoice for the variation amount.

Good to know

• You can create multiple variations for a single job if the scope changes more than once. Each variation is managed and approved separately.
• A variation is always linked to its original job and cannot be moved to a different one.
• Only variations with an Accepted status contribute to the Job Total and appear on invoices.
• ⚠️ Heads up: Deleting a variation is a permanent action and cannot be undone. You will lose the record of the proposed scope change.

What's next

• Create and send quotes
• Invoice a job
• Manage job profitability