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AIA G701 Explained for ARE 5.0

AIA Contract Series · ARE 5.0 Exam Prep · Updated May 2026

AIA G701 explained for ARE 5.0

A plain-language breakdown of the Change Order form — what it is, when it’s used, and why it’s one of the most tested documents in CE and PjM.

CE PjM AIA Contracts ARE 5.0

What is AIA G701?

The AIA G701 — formally titled Change Order — is the form used to officially modify the construction contract. It records changes to the contract sum, the contract time, or both, and requires signatures from all three parties: the owner, the contractor, and the architect.

Think of G701 as the official record of an agreed change. It is not used when there is a dispute — it is used when all parties have agreed on the scope, cost, and schedule impact of a modification to the work. A Change Order can result from an agreed proposal or from a previously issued Construction Change Directive. Once executed, the Change Order becomes part of the Contract Documents and modifies the Agreement. G701 applies to projects using a Contract Sum or Guaranteed Maximum Price, depending on the Owner–Contractor agreement. The 2017 edition is the version referenced on the ARE 5.0.

Why G701 appears on CE and PjM

Changes to the work are one of the most heavily tested topics on the ARE because they occur on nearly every project and require the architect to take specific action. Here is how each division connects to it:

CE

Construction & Evaluation

The Change Order becomes valid only when signed by the Architect, Contractor, and Owner as part of construction administration. Understanding when a Change Order is required — versus a CCD or minor change — is a core CE competency.

PjM

Project Management

Managing changes to scope, cost, and schedule is central to project management. G701 is how those changes are formally executed and documented.

What G701 changes — and what it requires

Contract sum or GMP

Adjusting the price

G701 records the amount added to or deducted from the contract sum or guaranteed maximum price. The adjusted total is carried forward on every subsequent Change Order, creating a running record of the contract value.

Contract time

Adjusting the schedule

G701 also records changes to the contract time — the number of days added to or removed from the substantial completion date. Not every Change Order affects time, but when it does, G701 is the document that makes it official.

Three-party signatures

Who must sign

The Change Order documents the agreed change and becomes valid only when signed by the Architect, Contractor, and Owner. The Owner and Contractor must agree on the change; the Architect signs to indicate review for conformance with the Contract Documents and to formalize the change. This distinguishes a Change Order from a Construction Change Directive, which does not require contractor agreement.

How G701 fits into the change order process

Changes to the work follow a defined process under A201. Understanding where G701 fits in that process is essential for the exam:

Step 1

Change is identified

The owner requests a change, a condition is discovered in the field, or a design issue requires modification. The architect evaluates the proposed change.

Step 2

Contractor prices the change

The contractor submits a proposal for the cost and time impact. The Architect reviews the proposed change for consistency with the Contract Documents and advises the Owner regarding cost and time impacts.

Step 3

G701 is executed

G701 is used when the Owner and Contractor agree on cost and/or time adjustments to the Contract Sum, GMP, Contract Time, or substantial completion date. The form is signed by all three parties and the change becomes part of the contract.

If parties don’t agree

A Construction Change Directive is used instead

When the owner and contractor cannot agree, the architect may issue a Construction Change Directive (A201 Article 7.3) to direct the work to proceed. A CCD does not require contractor agreement and is resolved later. If the parties cannot agree on the cost, the Architect may determine an interim adjustment to the Contract Sum or Time, subject to later resolution. G701 is used only when agreement is reached — it documents a mutually accepted change, not a disputed one.

Change order decision flow

This is how the architect determines which change mechanism applies. ARE questions are often structured around this exact logic.

Change order decision flow Change identified Does it affect cost or time? YES NO Do Owner and Contractor agree? YES NO Minor Change A201 §7.4 Issued by Architect Within Contract Documents No cost or time impact G701 Change Order All three sign Modifies Contract Sum and/or Contract Time CCD A201 §7.3 Issued by Owner and Architect No contractor agreement Contractor must proceed Later resolved by Change Order (G701) Agreement reached No agreement No cost / time impact

Quick comparison

Method Agreement required Who signs When used
Change Order (G701) Yes All three sign Agreed changes to cost or time
CCD No prior agreement Issued by Owner and Architect Disputed changes — contractor must proceed
Minor Change No Issued by Architect No cost or time impact
  • A Change Order requires all three signatures — owner, contractor, and architect. The Change Order is not valid until signed by all three parties.
  • A Change Order becomes part of the Contract Documents upon execution — per A201 §7.2.
  • A Change Order may include changes originating from a Construction Change Directive once cost and time are agreed upon.
  • A Change Order is not the same as a Construction Change Directive. A CCD is issued without prior agreement; a Change Order documents agreement.
  • Minor changes in the Work (A201 §7.4) are issued by the Architect within the scope of the Contract Documents and must not affect cost or time; they do not require a Change Order or Construction Change Directive.
  • The Architect must ensure that minor changes are consistent with the intent of the Contract Documents and do not affect cost or time (A201 §7.4) — the architect’s authority here is limited, not unlimited.
  • Each G701 carries the cumulative adjusted contract sum — examiners test whether candidates understand that this number grows with each change.
  • A Change Order modifies both the Agreement (A101) and the Contract Documents (A201) — understanding this cross-document relationship is a high-frequency ARE concept.
  • The Architect signs the Change Order to indicate review for conformance with the Contract Documents — the Owner and Contractor are the contracting parties whose agreement changes the contract.
  • G701 applies to both stipulated sum contracts (Contract Sum) and cost-plus contracts (GMP) — the applicable amount depends on the Owner–Contractor agreement.

Exam tip

When an ARE question describes a change to the work, first ask: do all three parties agree? If yes, the answer likely involves a Change Order and G701. If there is disagreement, the answer involves a Construction Change Directive. If there is no cost or time impact, the answer may involve a minor change under Article 7.4 — which requires no form at all.

How G701 relates to other AIA documents

G701 is the form used to execute what A201 Article 7 describes. A201 establishes the rules for changes in the work — the authority, the process, and the three methods (Change Order, CCD, minor change). G701 is simply the official form that records an agreed Change Order. It also connects to A101, which sets the original contract sum and completion date that G701 modifies. Together, these three documents create a complete and auditable record of how the contract evolved over the life of the project.