This Change Order costs more than my whole house!

Change orders on large projects can carry shocking price tags. A little detail change can be multiplied by thousands of lineal feet or occur hundreds or thousands of times. When I was first working as an architectural drafter in a large architecture and engineering firm (A-E firm), a senior project manager in the firm told me to pay attention to the detail conditions that go for miles, because changes in those details during construction can cost a lot. We were working on highrise office buildings at the time, so a change in a window detail could literally go for miles, considering the perimeter length per floor and the number of floors. It really hit home when I saw a change order that cost more than my whole house. On a large project that can also happen with an additional coat of paint.