How do I record a variation the builder already approved?
- Add a variation as usual, and put a figure on it. An approval needs something to approve: with nothing priced behind it, the amount they agreed is nil.
- Tick They have already approved it.
- Give the day THEY decided, not the day you type it up. That day decides which claim the variation lands on.
- Their approval reference is optional. It is their number for the DECISION, not their number for the variation.
- If they agreed what you asked, leave the amount they agreed blank. Fill it in only if they cut it. The register then shows both figures and how much came off.
- You record it once, and it lands on the register approved, ready for your next claim. You do not open the row and approve it again.
Worth knowing
The notice is not a step before this, and never was. A notice deadline is a warning about an entitlement; the builder’s answer is a fact you write down. You can record their approval on a variation with no notice recorded, or on one whose window has closed. The claim carries it either way.