Your Change Order Log is more than a spreadsheet — it’s how you tell the story of extra work on a job. It shows your GC what’s been submitted, what’s outstanding, and what’s ready to be billed. In short: it’s your documentation, your leverage, and your lifeline to getting paid.
That’s why GCs ask for it, and why you can’t afford for it to be outdated, incomplete, or buried in someone’s inbox.
The problem? Most COR Logs today are still exported from project financial software or built in Excel to be tracked manually, making them slow to compile and instantly out of date. That disconnect leads to missed approvals, delayed payments, and strained negotiations at closeout.
In a recent Clearstory survey of more than 100 Specialty Contractors, 81% say their COR Log is either occasionally or frequently out of alignment with their GC’s, and more than half say poor Change Order documentation leads to delays and downward negotiation to payment.
Clearstory is the first platform purpose-built to replace the spreadsheets, headaches, and risks with a live, shareable Change Order Log that updates itself in real-time. Here’s how:
1) Create or Upload CORs — Your Log Updates Itself
Start your COR in Clearstory or upload one you’ve already built. Either way, your log fills in automatically without any extra steps or manual data entry. In Clearstory, the Change Order Log updates in real time when new CORs are created, submitted, revised, or approved.
- No more reconciling updates across email, spreadsheets, and PDFs
- Every change is tracked in real time, so nothing slips through the cracks
- If a COR is revised, the log updates. If it’s approved? Updated. No downloads or manual workarounds required.
That weekly “COR clean-up session”? Gone.
2) A Shareable Link That Builds Trust With GCs
Tired of exporting your COR Log, formatting it, and attaching it to yet another email? With Clearstory, you send one link, and that’s it. Your GC gets a real-time view of every COR’s status and backup. No more version confusion. No more buried attachments.
- They see what you see — no surprises, no lag
- Everyone’s aligned without endless emails and log reconciliation
- Faster decisions, fewer follow-ups, better relationships
When you share the same source of truth, approvals move quicker, and trust builds stronger relationships with GCs that lead to repeat business.
3) Track Revisions Without Breaking A Sweat
Need to revise a COR? Update it in Clearstory and your log reflects the changes instantly, along with version history, documentation, and time stamps.
- Ditch the “Which version is this?” email ping-pong
- Stay on the same page with your GC, even as scopes shift
- Keep every revision clean, clear, and fully documented
It’s the most reliable way to stay aligned with your GC, even when the job’s moving fast.
4) See the Full Story With the Activity Feed
Clearstory’s activity feed gives you a running log of who did what, when—so you’re never left guessing. Every COR in the log has a built-in timeline tracking every action.
- Know when you submitted, who reviewed, what changed, and when it was approved
- Skip the inbox scavenger hunt: all of your backup is already there
- Gain confidence and control heading into monthly billing or closeout
It’s your built-in paper trail — always on, always accurate, and ready to defend your work when it counts, turning your log into a defensible record, not just a list of line items.
5) Know When Your CORs Are Seen
With Clearstory’s read receipts, you’ll know exactly when your GC views a COR or opens your log. No more guessing. No more chasing.
- Get notified the moment your COR is viewed
- Aging columns show how long items have been open
- Cut down the “I never saw it” back-and-forth
With automated notifications and read receipts, you’re not just sending documents into the void, you’re tracking engagement and staying one step ahead to prioritize follow-ups and keep cash flow moving.
6) Spot Bottlenecks Before They Hit Your Bottom Line
Clearstory’s COR Log doesn’t just track your work—it shows you what’s slowing it down. With built-in days aging, roll-up reporting, and analytics dashboards, you can:
- Instantly see which CORs are overdue or stuck in review
- Filter by project, GC, or status to focus your follow-up
- Use real data to guide billing reviews, not gut checks
It’s not just a log, it’s a heads-up display for your Change Order process.
Make Your COR Log Work as Hard as You Do
You’re doing the work. Your Change Order Log should reflect that. Accurately, instantly, and without a ton of manual cleanup.
Clearstory turns your COR Log into a real-time record of the work you’ve done, the costs you’ve tracked, and the approvals you’re waiting on. No more versioning. No more guesswork. Just a single source of truth that updates itself, and makes your team look good while doing it.
Ready to take control of your COR process? See how Specialty Contractors using Clearstory are cutting their COR processing time by 70% and getting paid weeks faster. Book your custom demo now.
