Contractor Proposal Review.

Before you sign a GC proposal or a fixed-price contract, have someone read it who has no stake in the build. We check what’s in the scope, what’s quietly excluded, and what the schedule and payment terms will actually cost you — in writing, for owners across Houston and Texas.

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Why a proposal needs a second set of eyes

A contractor’s proposal is a sales document. It is written to win the job, and the places it stays quiet — the excluded scope, the thin allowance, the aspirational schedule — are exactly where the owner ends up paying more later. By the time those gaps surface as change orders, the leverage is gone and the price only moves one direction. The cheapest time to catch them is before signature, and that is the only thing this review is built to do.

What we check

  • Scope completeness. Every CSI division verified as present or explicitly excluded — so nothing critical is quietly missing from the number you’re comparing.
  • Allowances. Flooring, casework, fixtures, signage and the rest, benchmarked against real pricing — because an allowance set too low is just a price increase you haven’t been told about yet.
  • Exclusions. The common, shifty exclusions that push cost back onto the owner — flagged and explained, one by one.
  • Schedule. Defended durations versus aspirational language, and permit time separated from construction time, so the timeline you’re promised is one that can actually hold.
  • Payment terms. Deposit, draw structure, retainage, and the trigger for final payment — read for the terms that quietly shift risk onto you.

Who hires us

Commercial tenants signing a build-out. Franchise operators comparing two or three GC bids. Property owners handing a shell to a contractor for the first time. Investors and developers who want an independent read before an equity commitment. Anyone holding a proposal who suspects the number is too good, or can’t tell why two bids are so far apart.

What it costs to skip this

A single missing division or a lowballed allowance can move a commercial build-out by tens of thousands of dollars — and it almost always surfaces after the contract is signed, when it’s a change order instead of a negotiation. A proposal review costs a fraction of the first change order it prevents.

Frequently asked questions

How fast can you turn it around?

Most proposal reviews are back in 3–5 business days. If you’re against a signing deadline, tell us and we’ll work to it.

Do you negotiate with the contractor for me?

The review gives you a written list of exactly what to raise and why, with the dollar impact attached. You keep the relationship with your contractor; we hand you the leverage to use in it.

Will you build the project too?

No — and that’s the point. Epex Consulting is owner-side only. We take no builder margin, so nothing in the recommendation is protecting a construction contract.

Have a proposal or contract in front of you?

Send it over. We’ll tell you what a contractor is hoping you won’t notice — before you sign.

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