BuildAdvocate provides owner-side draw and progress-payment reviews for Austin-area homeowners who need clearer facts before paying a contractor, builder, remodeler, or trade.
A payment request may arrive before the homeowner can tell what is complete, what changed, what remains open, or whether the amount matches the visible work and supporting documents. We organize that decision without pretending a site observation is a code inspection, legal opinion, or guarantee of workmanship.
A review is useful when the amount and the progress do not line up clearly.
A milestone feels early
The invoice says framing, rough-in, waterproofing, cabinets, or finish work is complete, but important pieces appear unfinished or have not been checked.
The paperwork changed
Allowances, substitutions, change orders, credits, deposits, or prior payments make it difficult to understand the current balance.
Payment pressure is rising
The contractor wants immediate payment, threatens to stop, or asks for money that the homeowner cannot connect to materials, labor, or documented progress.
The project is off track
Delays, failed or missing inspections, defects, abandoned work, or disputed scope have changed the risk since the original payment schedule was written.
What to gather before a construction draw review.
The goal is not to create a bigger paperwork pile. It is to connect the contractor’s request to the agreement, the money already released, the work that can be observed, and the questions that still need a responsible answer.
Agreement and payment record
- Signed contract, proposal, and original scope
- Payment schedule or schedule of values
- Prior invoices, receipts, deposits, and proof of payment
- Allowances, credits, selections, and approved change orders
Progress and project record
- Current invoice or draw request
- Dated photos and videos of the work
- Project schedule, messages, and delay explanations
- Permit and inspection history where applicable
Open questions
- Incomplete, damaged, or disputed items
- Materials paid for but not clearly delivered or installed
- Correction work, punch-list items, and failed inspections
- Amounts the contractor says are due and why
Keep original files and messages. Send copies or exports for review. If a dispute may involve lien rights, contract termination, fraud, insurance coverage, or legal deadlines, preserve the record and speak with a qualified Texas attorney about those legal questions.
How BuildAdvocate reviews the request.
1. Rebuild the payment story
We compare the contract, prior payments, changes, credits, and current request so the homeowner can see how the contractor reached the number.
2. Compare scope with visible progress
We review available site conditions, photos, documents, and milestone language to separate visibly complete work from partial, unclear, or open items.
3. Check supporting records
We identify missing change orders, invoices, inspection history, delivery evidence, selections, or contractor explanations that matter to the payment decision.
4. Prepare decision-ready questions
The output names what appears supported, what remains uncertain, what should be documented, and which responsible party needs to answer before money moves.
Example payment-review worksheet.
A review should turn a complicated invoice into a short list of observable facts and unresolved questions. The actual format depends on the project, but the logic looks like this:
| Requested item | What appears complete | Supporting record | Open question | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet milestone | Boxes installed; several doors and panels missing | Contract milestone and dated site photos | Does the milestone require full installation? | Ask contractor to identify remaining items and proposed completion date |
| Electrical change | Some added rough-in visible | Email request but no signed price change | Was price and scope approved before work? | Request written change-order detail and responsible electrician’s scope |
| Material deposit | Material not observed onsite | Vendor quote only | Was it ordered, paid for, and assigned to this project? | Request order confirmation, delivery status, and contract basis |
This is a communication and decision tool, not a certification that work complies with code or a legal direction to pay or withhold money.
Austin permit and inspection records can change the conversation.
For permitted work, the City of Austin’s AB+C Public Search can help homeowners review permit and inspection history. The City’s contractor-selection guidance also advises homeowners to connect payments to the project schedule and monitor inspection records.
A permit record does not prove every contract item is complete, and visible progress does not prove a required inspection passed. BuildAdvocate can help place those records beside the contract and site facts so the homeowner knows what to ask. City staff, inspectors, licensed trades, design professionals, or engineers remain responsible for the official or professional decisions in their scope.
What you receive.
Payment and progress summary
A plain-language comparison of the current request, contract milestone, prior payments, visible progress, and documented changes.
Open-item list
Incomplete, unclear, damaged, disputed, uninspected, or unsupported items that need an answer from the responsible contractor or professional.
Next-conversation plan
Focused questions and document requests the homeowner can use before agreeing to the next payment, change, correction, or schedule.
Depending on the project, the review may be document-only, photo-assisted, or paired with a site visit. The scope should be agreed before the review begins.
Common construction payment questions.
Does BuildAdvocate decide whether I should pay?
No. The homeowner makes the payment decision under the contract and applicable law. BuildAdvocate organizes construction facts, documents, observations, and questions so that decision is better informed.
Is this a code or bank draw inspection?
No. BuildAdvocate provides an owner-side construction progress and document review. A municipal inspection, lender draw inspection, engineering review, or licensed trade inspection has a different scope and responsible professional.
What if the contractor demands full payment before finishing?
Preserve the request, compare it with the written payment terms and actual project status, and ask for a clear accounting. The Texas Department of Insurance publishes consumer guidance about contractor-scam warning signs, including demands for full payment up front. Contract enforcement, lien rights, and payment withholding are legal questions for a qualified attorney.
What if materials were paid for but are not onsite?
Ask for the order, vendor, payment, delivery, ownership, and storage details and compare them with the contract. A review can identify the missing record and the question, but it cannot verify facts that the supplier or contractor has not documented.
Can you review a disputed change order?
We can compare the proposed or completed work with the original scope, messages, pricing detail, and visible conditions. Legal enforceability and contract interpretation remain attorney questions.
When should another professional be involved?
Use the responsible city inspector, licensed trade, engineer, architect, attorney, insurance professional, or other specialist when the question involves code approval, concealed systems, structural safety, design, legal rights, coverage, or licensed work. BuildAdvocate helps the homeowner identify and organize that handoff.
Related owner-side help.
The contractor stopped or disappeared
Use the project-recovery guide to secure the record, understand unfinished work, and prepare for replacement-contractor conversations.
Compare homeowner services
See how payment review fits with contractor trouble, permit questions, defects, owner-builder support, and repair decisions.
Start with the project facts
Send the current payment request, decision deadline, project location, and a short description of what appears incomplete or unclear.