Free variation register template for construction.
Track changes from first instruction through pricing, submission and agreement. Use it in the browser, then export the register to CSV. No account required.
Free to preview · No account required| Ref | Variation / change | Instruction ref | Date | Status | Quoted (£) | Submitted (£) | Agreed (£) | Next action | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This register does not decide entitlement.
CertKeep records the commercial information you enter. Your contract, notices, instructions, valuation rules and evidence determine whether a change is valid, how it should be priced and what is payable.
What a useful variation register should tell you
A variation register is most useful when it answers the commercial questions quickly: what changed, what instructed it, what has been priced, what has been submitted, what has been agreed, and what needs chasing next.
This free register is deliberately broader than a blank spreadsheet but narrower than a contract-management platform. It gives you the working commercial picture without pretending to decide contractual entitlement.
Fields in this free variation register
Use one row for each change or extra you want to keep visible. The public register includes:
- Project and client / main contractor so the exported register has a clear project context.
- Variation reference and description so each change can be identified quickly.
- Instruction reference for the site instruction, email, drawing change or other reference you actually have.
- Date and status with working stages from Identified and Quoted through Submitted, In review, Agreed, Rejected, Included in application and Paid.
- Quoted, submitted and agreed values kept separately so the commercial movement stays visible.
- Next action for the specific chase, pricing step or payment action that still needs to happen.
The register also totals quoted, submitted and agreed values and shows open exposure for items that are not yet agreed, rejected or paid.
How to use a variation register on a live job
- Start the record when the change is identified. Do not wait until the next valuation to reconstruct the instruction and date.
- Reference the instruction you actually have. Keep the site instruction, email, drawing or other supporting record separately and use the register to point back to it.
- Move the status as the commercial position changes. A variation that is merely identified is different from one that has been quoted, submitted, agreed or included in an application.
- Keep quoted, submitted and agreed values separate. That makes any gap visible instead of overwriting the earlier position.
- Write the next action. Record whether the item needs pricing, chasing, agreement, inclusion in an application or payment follow-up.
- Export the CSV when you need a handoff. Use the exported register alongside the underlying instructions, dayworks, evidence and payment records from your own process.
Why the three values matter
The number first quoted for a variation can change before submission, and the amount later agreed can be different again. Keeping all three figures visible gives you a clearer record of where the value moved instead of replacing the earlier number and losing the comparison.
If the variation is supported by dayworks, keep those records with the change. When the item moves into a payment application, keep the applied and certified position visible too. That creates a clearer trail from the site record through the variation and into payment follow-up.
Fictional variation-register example
Imagine a drylining subcontractor receives instruction SI-27 for an extra bulkhead. The change is logged as VAR-014 on the day it is identified. The quoted value is £3,250, the later submitted value is £3,480 after the resource detail is completed, and the item remains In review. The next action reads “Chase assessment before Application 6”.
If the main contractor later assesses the change at £3,100, the earlier quoted and submitted figures still remain visible rather than being overwritten. Once the item is included in an application, the register can move the status forward while the underlying instruction, dayworks and payment records stay as separate supporting evidence. This is a fictional example only and does not imply that any amount is contractually due.
What the saved Dayworks workflow adds
Saved Dayworks links a variation to its supporting dayworks and payment application record. Free includes one saved variation and one payment application at a time. Pro adds private PDF/photo evidence, more live records, Payment Schedule and follow-up. A saved application's supporting summary, evidence index and linked files can be downloaded in one ZIP, up to 100 files / 25 MB. External approval links are not available. CertKeep does not create contractual applications or notices.
CertKeep is an organisational tool, not legal or contractual advice. Check the relevant contract, notices and your own commercial procedures.