What are ÄTA works (change orders) in Swedish construction?

What does ÄTA mean?

ÄTA is the umbrella term for everything that changes in a construction project after the contract is signed. Some examples:

• Change: the client wants tiles instead of parquet in the hall.
• Addition: an extra power outlet in every room.
• Omission: a storage shed that won't be built after all.

How is ÄTA ordered and priced?

ÄTA work should be ordered by the client, preferably in writing and before it is carried out. The price follows the contract, for example unit prices, a fixed price for that change, or time and materials.

If nothing specific was agreed, the contract and the standard terms it refers to apply. Most common are AB 04 for construction contracts and ABT 06 for design-and-build contracts.

When the client is a private person, the Consumer Services Act (konsumenttjänstlagen) applies, and repairs and renovations often use Hantverkarformuläret 17 as the contract. Under the act you must contact the customer and ask before doing additional work. If you can't reach them, you may only go ahead if the price is negligible or low compared with the job, or if there is particular reason to believe the customer wants it done.

How to document ÄTA

• What is changing and why.
• Who ordered the change and when.
• The price, or how the price will be worked out.
• Photos before and after.
• The client's approval.

Do it before the work starts, or as soon as you can. The longer you wait, the harder it is to agree on what was said.

ÄTA and invoicing

Approved ÄTA is often invoiced separately or as separate lines on the invoice, so the client sees what is a change and what was included from the start. Keep contract work and ÄTA apart in the project's accounts, so you see what each project actually costs and earns.

Naexit builds digital tools for construction companies, where ÄTA is logged on site with photos and a price and approved straight away on the phone. Read more about systems for construction companies.