Feature · Variations
Never lose a variation again
The customer asks for one more thing, you say “yeah, no worries”, and the job moves on. TradieCue turns that ten-second moment into a priced, written variation draft — while you're still standing on site.
Last updated 2026-07-11 · Reviewed by the TradieCue team
The most expensive sentence in the trades
“Yeah, we can do that too.” Every tradie says it, most weeks. The problem isn't doing the extra work — it's what happens next: nothing gets written down, the day rolls on, and by invoice time the extra is half-remembered, unpriced and easy for the customer to dispute. Work you did, money you don't see.
Job-management software technically has variation forms. But a form you have to fill in later is a form that doesn't get filled in. The variation is lost at the moment of capture, not the moment of invoicing.
Say it while it's fresh
With TradieCue, capturing the change is one rough sentence to Timmy:
“Wang job — while we had the wall open they asked for extra waterproofing behind the vanity, and a second coat on the shower floor. $380 plus GST for the lot.”
Sample note for illustration. The document shown is real output from TradieCue's PDF template (sample business details). Your draft stays fully editable, and it isn't sent to anyone until you share it.
Three things just happened that a notes app can't do:
- It landed on the right job. Timmy links the variation to the Wang job, next to the original quote — not into a pile of loose notes.
- Your price stayed yours. You said $380, so the draft says $380. Prices come from the user and stay editable. Timmy structures the work and wording; it does not invent amounts.
- It became customer-ready English. A scoped variation your customer can read and approve, not shorthand only you understand.
When you don't have a price yet
Half the time you know the extra work before you know the number. Say it anyway. When an important detail is missing (a price, a customer, a scope item), Timmy asks rather than making it up. The variation draft holds the scope with the price left open, and Timmy asks you for the amount — it will never make one up to fill the gap.
You approve it before anyone sees it
Nothing is sent automatically. Every quote, variation and follow-up is a draft the user reviews, edits and shares themselves. Open the draft, tighten the wording, confirm the amount, then share it your way — message, email or a quote link the customer can accept. Getting the customer's yes in writing before the work is what turns “extra stuff we did” into money you can bank on. If it's already done, the same capture protects you at invoice time.
Where this pays for itself
| Moment on site | What usually happens | With variation capture |
|---|---|---|
| “While you're here, can you also…” | Verbal yes, no record | Ten-second note → priced variation draft on the job |
| Hidden damage found mid-job (rot, bad wiring, leaks) | Photo on the phone, story at invoice time | Note + photo → written variation before work continues |
| Customer changes their mind on materials or layout | “We'll sort it at the end” | Scope change documented the moment it's agreed |
| End of job, invoice looks bigger than the quote | Dispute, discount, bad review | Every extra traces to a variation the customer saw |
The deeper how-and-why — what to write, when to get a signature, how it plays with your contract — is covered in how to document extra work and what to include in a building variation. Prefer to start from paper? There's a free building variation template.
Common questions
Does Timmy send the variation to my customer?
No. Timmy prepares a draft on the right job. You review it, edit it and share it yourself — nothing is ever sent automatically.
What if I don't know the price of the extra work yet?
Capture the scope anyway. Timmy drafts the variation with the price left open and asks you for the amount — it never invents a number.
Can I capture a variation in Chinese?
Yes — speak English, Chinese or a mix. The customer-facing variation comes out in professional English. See bilingual job notes.
Is a TradieCue variation legally binding?
TradieCue produces the document; whether a variation binds depends on your contract and your state's rules, and drafts aren't legal advice. What it guarantees is the part most tradies miss: the change is written down, priced and put in front of the customer while it's fresh.
Try it on your next job
TradieCue is free to download on the App Store. Say a rough note about a real job and review the draft Timmy produces — nothing is sent until you share it yourself.
Free to download and try. TradieCue Pro is a subscription through Apple: A$24.99/month or A$239.99/year with a 30-day free trial. Apple confirms before any charge.