In your contractor’s mind, these four words translate to “change order.” And while change orders are necessary and inevitable in many cases, they are notorious for adding cost to a project. If you’ve worked hard to come to an agreement with your banker, your contractor or your spouse to stay within a fixed price, a change order or two (or three, or 10) can throw your budget a curveball.

The moral of the story is to be aware of what you ask your contractor to do. Moving a can light involves more than an electrician. The drywall contractor and painter will need to patch the hole where the light was previously, for example. Altogether, it could end up costing hundreds to move that light half a foot. That might be pocket change to some people. But throw in seven to 10 more “pocket change”-sized change orders, and suddenly your bill has increased by a couple thousand dollars.

To prevent change orders, try to think carefully about everything involved (paint colors, position of can lights) in your project before the start date to make sure they’re included in your scope of work and contract. It will more than likely save you a few bucks — and a few headaches.

There is, of course, a chance that the professional you hired will move that can light for free. Every project and every professional is different. But odds are there are service fees (and a markup on those service fees) involved, so be aware of the implications of “while you’re at it.”

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