FREE QLD TEMPLATE
Subcontractor variation register template (Excel)
A free Excel variation register for construction and electrical subcontractors. One row per variation, from the direction through notice, quote, approval and payment claim, with flags for overdue notices and a summary of value at risk.
Items marked verify refer to legislation, standards or regulator guidance that changes over time. Check the linked official source and your contract before relying on them.
Why subcontractors need a variation register
Most unpaid variations aren't lost because the work wasn't done. They're lost because nobody can show who directed it, when notice was given, what was quoted and whether it was approved. A variation register is the single list that answers those questions for every change on a job. It also feeds your payment claims, EOT claims and final account.
Many subcontracts make notice a condition of payment, with a time bar if notice isn't given within a set number of days verify. Our guide to time bars and notices in QLD subcontracts explains why. The register is where you see those clocks before they run out.
What's in the free template
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| VAR no. | A unique number used in every notice, quote and claim (VAR-01, VAR-02). |
| Description | What changed, with drawing or revision references. |
| Directed by / direction ref | Who directed it and how: site instruction, RFI response, email. Quote the reference and date. |
| Date aware, notice due, notice sent | When you became aware, when the contract says notice is due verify, and when you actually sent it. |
| Quote submitted, response due | When you priced it and when the head contractor should reply. |
| Claimed $, approved $, status | Status from a drop-down: Draft, Notified, Submitted, Under review, Approved, Part-approved, Rejected, Disputed, Withdrawn. |
| EOT days claimed / granted | Time impact, so you don't price the cost and forget the time. |
| In claim no. | The progress claim the variation was included in. |
| Days to response, flag | Formulas that flag NOTICE OVERDUE, "Notice due soon", late notices and replies to chase. |
The Summary sheet totals claimed and approved values by status, shows the value at risk (claimed but not yet approved) and counts overdue notices. It's plain Excel with no macros, so it works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
How to use the register on a live job
- Set it up on day one. Enter the project and subcontract number, and note the notice periods from your subcontract (for example "written notice within 5 business days of becoming aware" verify).
- Log the change when you become aware of it, not when you price it. Enter the date aware and calculate the notice due date from your contract. Count business days if the contract does.
- Send notice, then record it. Use a variation notice that gets paid format, quote the VAR number, and enter the sent date. Keep the email or transmittal.
- Price it and submit the quote. Enter the claimed amount, quote date and the response date the contract allows.
- Chase replies. Use the flag column to find quotes awaiting a response and follow up in writing.
- Carry it into your payment claim. Record the claim number. Approved and directed variations usually belong in your next BIF Act payment claim, with the VAR number shown.
- Review weekly. Sort by status, check the summary, and take the value-at-risk figure to your commercial meeting.
Worked example (fictional)
On a water treatment plant job, an electrical subcontractor gets a written site instruction (SI-014) on 3 November to add a second LV feeder from MSB-2 to the pump station MCC. It's not on tender drawing E-201 Rev B. The PM logs VAR-01 the same day, with the notice due date 5 business days later under the subcontract. Notice goes out on 4 November quoting SI-014, and a $18,500 quote follows. When it's approved it's marked Approved and included in progress claim PC-04.
VAR-02, re-terminating 46 cores after a SCADA tag list revision, came by email. The register shows notice sent but no reply after the response date, so the flag says "Chase reply". The PM chases in writing and claims 3 EOT days, linked to an EOT notice.
Variation register vs notice register vs EOT register
A variation register tracks changes and their value. A notice register tracks every contractual clock: delay, latent conditions, claims, disputes. An EOT register tracks time. Small teams can run variations and EOT days together in this template, and keep delay notices with our notice of delay template. On larger jobs, a combined register with business-day calculations saves rework.
Common mistakes the register prevents
- Doing extra work on a verbal instruction and having nothing in writing at final account.
- Missing a notice period because nobody knew when the clock started.
- Pricing the cost but never claiming the time.
- Different numbers or descriptions in the notice, quote and payment claim.
- Approved variations left out of progress claims for months.
Timeframes and notice requirements come from your subcontract, so read the variation, notice and time-bar clauses before relying on any date the register calculates. The Act sets separate rules for payment claims, schedules and adjudication verify; see the QBCC payment dispute pages.
Frequently asked questions
What is a variation register?
What columns should a variation register have?
Does this register calculate business days?
Can I use it in Google Sheets?
Should approved variations go in my payment claim?
Is a variation register enough to get paid?
General information only, not legal, contractual or tendering advice. The template doesn't make a notice or document valid or effective; your contract and current law decide that. Check each item marked verify against the current official source.