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Managing PM Pending Change Orders

PM Pending Change Orders creates and maintains pending/potential change orders (PCOs) before they become approved change orders. A PCO records a potential work change with pricing against estimates, commitments, and contract items. After entry, approve with PM Approve PCOs, then interface to Job Cost / SL / PO / IN / MS with PM Interface.

Also: add items, generate a CO document, create a COR, copy a PCO, create a transmittal.

Before you start​

  • Project exists. Soft/hard-closed projects show status in red; add/edit only if JC Company Parameters allow posting to those jobs.
  • PCO Type from PM Document Types (defaults for Estimate / SL / PO / Contract / Pricing Method).
  • Auto-numbering on PM Projects → Info → Auto-Generate Pending Change Orders (by Project, or Project and Type). Trailing letters ignored; trailing digits count.
  • Header Status defaults from PM Company Parameters Default Beginning Status. Final statuses on PM Status IDs.
  • Responsible Person = contacts of Our Firm only.
  • Phases/cost types on PM Project Phases; hours only if JC Cost Type tracks hours. Add-ons from PM Project Add-Ons; markups from PM Projects Markups. ROM required (0.00 if none) — informational.

Steps — create and maintain​

  1. Open PM Pending Change Orders. Enter Project, PCO Type, PCO (+ or New Record). Description (60), Details, Date (today), Status, Priority (default Medium), Reason, Reference, Responsible Person.
  2. Check impacts: Estimate, SL, PO, Contract. Pricing Method filters unit columns (Lump Sum hides unit/unit-cost).
  3. Add PCO items (+, up to 10 chars): description, status, Budget # (reference only), Force Phase, Change in Days, Contract Item (required before approve — can wait until Approve PCOs), dates, RFI links, Initiated By.
  4. With Estimate checked: enter phase/cost type estimate lines (UM, units, hours, costs, ECM, Interface, Active, Ins Code, Bill Flag, unit flags, notes). Phase must be active on the JC job.
  5. With SL/PO checked: Vendor; attach existing approved (or approved+interfaced) SL/PO or create new. New SL creates a subcontract on save even before PCO approval — changing the SL # after save creates another subcontract, it does not renumber. Attach existing SubCO/POCO only on a new detail line with blank Phase/Cost Type (use Create → Subcontract/PO Change Order).
  6. With Contract checked: Fixed Amount or calculated Pending Amount; UM mismatch warns that only dollars update JC. Change in Days adds to PM Contracts current days on approve.
  7. Markups and add-ons as needed. Optional Add PCO Items, generate document, create COR, copy PCO, mass-assign contract items.

Unchecking Estimate deletes estimate lines (prompt). Unchecking SL/PO hides columns and clears values but does not delete already-created subcontract/material detail.

Approve to ACO​

  1. From a COR: Tasks → Approve PCOs (loads that COR’s PCOs). Or on this form’s Grid tab: multi-select PCOs, then approve.
  2. On PM Approve PCOs: select PCO(s), ACO (+ or existing), optional approve related SubCOs/POCOs, optional CCO, check Approve per item, set Approved Amount, Approve.
  3. Estimates flow to ACO Estimate Detail, then to JC Change Order Phase Detail at PM Interface. Many item fields disable after the item is approved.

Hard rules​

  • Do not set Default Final Status until after printing the PM Pending Change Order Form report — PCOs in that status are excluded from the report.
  • Active checked = phase/CT updates JC immediately and can collect cost; unchecked = pending until approve + interface. Force Phase runs only at interface.
  • Material cost type + PO → PM Material Detail; subcontract cost type + SL → PM Subcontract Detail.
  • Cannot remove a linked POCO/SCO from a saved line — delete the line (unapprove first if already approved).
  • ROM from RFI/issue does not fill header ROM; it defaults item contract amount. Create those PCOs with PM Create PCO.
  • Document type Include in Cost Projections + status Projections Option control whether PCOs display/calculate in cost projections.

Notes​