When speaking to potential clients, we feel it’s important to highlight Clause 1.5, an important part of the agreement our clients sign. Here’s what it says:

“Client shall use the Software to hire Firm’s employees, preferred vendors, or other licensed professionals such as engineers or general contractors for the Project’s design/build team.”

Here’s what it means:

The New Avenue software platform, often called “the app,” is a powerful tool we use to track budget and expenses as well as keep record of which consultants we work with and pay. Our technology is the only tool on the market that makes it clear how to price, hire, track progress (that’s the hard part!) and pay everyone who works on your project.

This is how your choices are unlimited! We provided the team to do it all, and we make this an open system for you to add any designer, builder or vendor that you want to refer.

Why this clause matters a lot!

We're proud to say that we created the only system that allows a homeowner to benefit from an integrated team-based approach while retaining the freedom to hire any contractor they want.  A best practice in the industry that is almost universally accepted is that the design team and building team will work in an integrated manner.

This is something that makes us unique, and we do it by offering (and requiring) that our clients use our budget to manage their construction agreements and construction payments.

If you work with us and our approved team for the entire project, then this is seamless. You’ll get updated pricing from our admin team throughout design and permitting, and you’ll also get a final construction price. There’s not much to discuss as everyone is trained and managed by us.

Suppose you meet an outside contractor who wins you over. Although we strongly recommend working with our vetted, experienced team, we can bring your contractor into the New Avenue system. We provide the admin support you need to enter their bid into our app. Then, we will work with you to approve the progress payments as they complete the work. There’s no additional charge for this service. 

(By the way, you can hire us for just our admin and accounting service. Schedule a call to learn more.)

We’ve managed over 1000 jobs, so we know a thing or two that can help save you tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars. Just as important, we can prevent immeasurable amounts of stress! Your heart and your spouse will appreciate this.

What if my contractor won’t work with the New Avenue platform?

Many won’t. And that’s a red flag. We find that good contractors—even those hired separately by our clients—appreciate how our design and admin team supports them, keeps expectations clear and makes sure they get paid on time. When everyone is on the same page, everyone is protected.

However, we do occasionally encounter a grumpy contractor who views us as a competitor and refuses to sign into the app. If your contractor is opposed to working with our convenient system, we will still input their bid and review the budget and any changes with you directly. You can send payment to your contractor without them even being involved in the admin and budget control support we provide. We can work one-on-one with you, and your contractor won’t even know you are relying on our trusted project management system and advice. 

If you decide to pay your contractor outside of the app, it’s critical to make sure they’re staying within the budget. The nightmares occur when a contractor accepts payments directly from you outside of what’s in the budget, or they ask for advances, or they ask you to pay for some subs or materials. We’ve seen what should have been a one-year job take four years because the contractor did this. If you stick with our program, we manage this risk and keep it as low as possible.

Of course, everything works more smoothly with the help of our admin team and our app.

Questions? Talk with an expert about your project!

This way of managing your team, budgeting, and timelines is different from the old way of “get three bids and hire the middle one and then watch the budget balloon.” We've been doing this for over a decade, and our system has proven itself over and over again.

If you have questions about Clause 1.5 (or any aspect of your project), we're happy to discuss it!