The 2026 State of Change Orders: General Contractors

Change orders are construction's most friction-filled process and the data proves it. Clearstory VP Chris Tzortzis and Steve Jones, Senior Director of Industry Insights Research at Dodge Construction Network, walk through the findings from the 2026 GC Change Order Report.

 

Key Takeaways:

 

  • Why change order volume is rising — and why tool sets haven't kept up
  • How GCs and specialty contractors see the same process very differently
  • Why T&M is a single point of failure (only 7% of GCs feel they manage it effectively)
  • The real cost: fee erosion, project closeout delays, and the human impact on stress and job satisfaction
  • What the most mature GCs do differently — and the maturity model built from the survey data