How to agree electrical extras before doing the work
Record the change, its price and the customer’s approval before an extra job gets mixed into your original electrical quote. Includes a worked variation example and an approval checklist.
Check what changed against the approved quote
A customer asks for two more sockets while you are already working in the house. It sounds like a small addition, but you still need to check the route, materials, time and what happens to the rest of the job.
Start with the approved quote. Which work was included? Which new request changes it? If the customer is clarifying something you already agreed to do, do not automatically treat that clarification as an extra. If the original wording is unclear, resolve that before putting a new charge against it.
Give the change a reference, such as J104-V01, and keep it with the original job. That lets the customer, the electrician and the person preparing the invoice refer to the same request.
Describe the extra work before pricing it
Write what is being added or changed in language the customer can recognise. Include the location and quantity. Record any finish, access or making-good question that affects what they will receive.
Keep the technical decision with the electrician responsible for the job. An admin reply can collect the request and prepare the record; it should not decide that the existing circuit, proposed route or customer’s preferred arrangement is suitable.
- The original quote and job reference.
- The requested change, location and quantity.
- What the additional price includes and excludes.
- Any effect on the visit, completion date or other agreed work.
- What still needs checking before a price or date can be confirmed.
Price the change from its actual costs
Allow for the materials you will buy, the time needed to fit them and any other job cost the change creates. Being on site already does not make every additional task free, but it can change the travel or setup allowance you would otherwise need.
Use the same pricing method you use for the rest of the job. Do not charge again for work already covered by the original price. If the change replaces an item, show how the original allowance or credit is handled rather than quietly adding the new amount on top.
Keep the amount the customer needs to approve clear, including how any applicable tax is treated. A vague message saying “a bit extra for materials” leaves both sides guessing. The quote pack’s estimate and margin sheets help you check your costs; they do not choose a standard price for you.
Ask for a clear answer and keep it
Send the proposed change through the agreed written channel. Give the customer enough information to say yes, no or ask a question. Confirm that the person replying is authorised to approve the change.
Record approval of the actual scope and amount. A thumbs-up to a photograph, or “fine” in a conversation containing three different options, may not make the agreed choice clear. Ask a short follow-up if you cannot tell what they have accepted.
If approval is still outstanding, keep the change marked as awaiting a decision. Do not let an invoice reminder or an automated job update make it look agreed. Follow the actual contract and appropriate advice when a change affects legal obligations or cancellation rights.
Illustrative example, not a standard price or customer result: Original agreed scope: hallway work, £600 total. Requested addition: two extra socket positions in the utility room, subject to the electrician confirming the arrangement. Change V01: the described additional work, £180 total, with applicable tax treatment stated. Making good beyond the stated finish is excluded. Revised job total if approved: £780. Customer message: “Please confirm you approve V01: [full description], an additional £180, revised total £780, and [agreed timing/finish]. We will record your answer against the job.” Job record: who approved, exact reply, date, agreed price and any conditions. The technical check and commercial approval remain separate.
Make the change visible to whoever finishes the job
Attach the approved version to the job record and update the instructions for the person attending. Keep rejected or replaced proposals clearly marked so an old version does not become the work order.
If an extra creates a supplier order, record that commitment against the same job reference. If it changes the diary, confirm the new arrangement with the customer and the engineer. A note on somebody’s phone is not much help to the person completing the handover.
- Current approved scope and change reference.
- Customer approval and any conditions.
- Materials ordered and who checks the delivery.
- Updated visit or completion arrangement.
- Information needed for the completion notes and invoice.
Match the invoice to the original price and approved changes
When the job is ready to bill, list the original work and each agreed change clearly. Check deposits, credits and part payments before writing the outstanding balance. Give the invoice owner the approval record so they do not have to reconstruct the conversation.
If the customer queries the extra, stop and check the scope, price and reply you actually recorded. Give the query to the decision owner. Sending the same payment chase again will not explain the charge.
A tidy change record helps establish what was discussed. It does not by itself settle every contractual question. Consumer and business jobs can have different rules; additional consumer payments have specific consent requirements. Do not assume an extra written on an invoice is automatically enforceable. Get advice on the actual agreement when needed.
Use one change sheet for the next request
The free Quote Follow-Up Pack includes an extra-work approval worksheet, a site-visit survey, an estimate sheet and scope wording. Use the approval sheet for the next change, then print or save it with the job before closing the tool.
If you want Stacked Out to organise these records and chase written approvals, we agree the tasks and approval limits first. You keep the technical decisions and control of prices. We handle written admin; we do not make inbound or outbound calls.