The Moment I Realized Our Owner Change Order Numbers Weren’t Normal
- Zach Simmons
- Nov 20
- 3 min read
I was prepping for a client presentation the other night — the usual: polishing slides, tightening the narrative, making sure the data told the truth we live every day.
At one point I decided to answer a simple question I’d never formally calculated:
What is our actual, program-wide change order percentage since the company started?
Not a gut feel.
Not a rough estimate.
The real number.
So I went digging!
When I finally pulled the data together, the result didn’t look real.
–0.031%
That was the total owner change order rate by total volume across every project we’ve done since 2022.
And once I saw it, I needed to see the breakdown. So I ran those numbers too.
Here’s what came out:
Stronghold-directed Change Orders: –0.728%
Owner-directed Change Orders: 0.697%
When I saw the full picture, I stopped what I was doing. Because those numbers tell a story — and not the one this industry is used to hearing.
Why These Numbers Matter (And What They Actually Mean)
Metrics are only useful if they reflect reality. So here’s what each of these numbers actually says about how we run our projects.
1. –0.031% Overall Change Orders
Most firms are sitting anywhere from 5 to 20 percent cost growth when you factor in design gaps, unforeseen conditions, and the domino effect of poor project setup.
A negative overall percentage is unheard of.
This number means:
We don’t hide risk behind contingencies
We don’t let loose ends slide into construction
We don’t treat ambiguity like someone else’s problem
We solve issues before they cost anyone money
This is the final exam grade. And it says we don’t just control change orders — we almost eliminate them.
2. –0.728% Stronghold-Directed Change Orders
This one shocked me the most.
Negative Stronghold-directed COs, meaning
we initiated more deductive changes than additive ones.
Translation:
Allowances weren’t fully used
Contingencies weren’t touched
Budgets came in better than expected
Early coordination prevented downstream issues
Trade buyouts were clean and tight
And the most important part: These aren’t “concessions.”They’re returns — money going back to the owner because it wasn’t needed.
Owners rarely see that in this industry. Rarely.
3. 0.697% Owner-Directed Change Orders
These are the only change orders that should exist.
Owner-driven COs are:
additions
upgrades
scope enhancements
“While you’re here, let’s also add…”
quality-of-life improvements
These aren’t project failures. They’re decisions.
And at 0.697%, it means the only cost growth happening on our projects is intentional growth — the kind the owner chooses.
Not surprises.
Not gaps.
Not errors.
Not finger-pointing.
Choice!
That’s the entire point of Alternative Delivery.
Why I’m Sharing This
Not to celebrate a number. But to challenge a belief.
For years, this industry has survived on the same handful of excuses:
“Change orders are unavoidable."
"Owners should expect overruns. “
"Design issues always show up in the field."
“It’s just how construction works.”
We’re starting to poke holes in those old, accepted lines — not with theory, not with slogans, but with data.
The idea we believed was possible: That disciplined preconstruction, real collaboration, and accountable project leadership can eliminate most cost growth - just got validated.
The numbers don’t give us a place to hide — they force the conversation forward. What we’ve proven in practice is what the industry has been avoiding in principle.
As an industry, let's start talking about how we can do better!
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