Variation register template for Australian builders
A variation register is the list of every change to the contract scope: what was asked for, what you claimed, what was approved and what has been claimed so far. Kept properly, a variation register template stops two expensive things: work done and never paid for, and the argument at the final account about what was agreed. This one is laid out for Australian contracts.
The columns a variation register needs
- Variation number and date raised
- Raised by: the principal, the superintendent or the builder
- Description and cause (client change, latent condition, design change, authority requirement)
- Cost claimed and time claimed, in days
- Status: pending, submitted, approved or rejected
- Approved amount and approved time
- Claimed to date, so each variation is claimed once and no more
- Reference: the instruction, RFI or contract clause it relies on
How the register links to claims and EOTs
The adjusted contract sum is the contract sum plus approved variations. That figure, not the original contract sum, is what each progress claim should reconcile to. Time claimed on a variation belongs in the EOT register as well, so the revised date for practical completion moves with it.
Habits that keep the register useful
- Log a variation the day it is instructed, even if it is not priced yet
- Record verbal instructions and confirm them in writing
- Claim only approved variations as approved; show pending ones separately
- Keep the reference to the instruction or RFI so the history is clear at the final account
The SiteOffice variations register
The Contract Admin Pack has a 200-row variations register with every column above, a running adjusted contract sum that feeds the progress claim, and an EOT register that records the linked variation. It works with HIA, MBA, AS 4000 and ABIC contracts: the registers are contract-neutral, and clause references go in the reference column.
Get the template
A progress claim template that reconciles to the contract sum every month, with the variation, EOT and RFI registers that feed it. One Excel workbook for Australian jobs in NSW and QLD, ready for Google Sheets.
12 months of updates. Checkout and GST handled by Gumroad.
FAQ
Is a variation register the same as a change order log?
It does the same job. Australian contracts call them variations, and the claim needs them in Australian dollars with GST and retention handled the Australian way, which is why a US change order template rarely fits.
Can I use it in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Sheets; every formula used is on the Sheets-safe list.
Is this legal advice?
No. SiteOffice templates are general tools, not legal, financial or construction advice. Check your contract and the security of payment legislation in your state, and get professional advice for your project.
SiteOffice templates are general tools, not legal, financial or construction advice. Check your contract and the security of payment legislation in your state, and get professional advice for your project.