Owner's Representative for Homeowners
An owner's representative works for you and only you — reviewing bids, scope, design documents, change orders, and invoices before you sign, approve, or pay. No commissions. No referral fees. No relationships with the contractors on your project. The work is done remotely with homeowners anywhere in the country — and when a project calls for it, on-site visits can be arranged wherever you are.
A brief, free introduction — we'll discuss whether MEAA may be a fit and a possible next step.
What an owner's representative actually does
On a major renovation, nearly everyone on the project is paid by someone other than you, or is paid more when the project costs more. The contractor's proposal reflects the contractor's interests. The architect's documents reflect the design intent. Nobody in that group is assigned to sit on your side of the table and tell you what you're actually agreeing to.
That's the role. An owner's representative reads the documents before you sign them, questions the numbers before you pay them, and gives you the questions to ask the people you've hired.
What I do
- Read architectural drawings, specifications, and finish schedules and tell you in plain language what they commit you to
- Compare contractor bids that have been written to different scopes, so you can actually compare them
- Analyze change orders and invoices against the scope you agreed to
- Attend key meetings and take notes you can rely on later
- Track open issues so decisions don't get made by default
- Tell you when something needs a licensed professional I am not
What I don't do
- I don't perform construction work or act as a contractor
- I don't provide architectural or engineering services
- I don't perform code inspections
- I don't recommend contractors, architects, designers, or trades — see below
- I don't make your decisions; every final decision stays with you
Advisory and coordination support only. MEAA does not replace licensed contractors, architects, engineers, inspectors, or permit professionals.
The moments when this matters most
Most homeowners don't look for an owner's representative when the project starts. They look when a specific decision arrives and they realize they can't evaluate it alone. These are the moments.
Before you sign the contract
You have a proposal in front of you. It's long, it's the contractor's own document, and you don't know what the exclusions mean or what happens when something changes.
When bids don't match
You collected three bids to compare them and found you can't — each one was written to a different scope, and the cheapest may simply have the least in it.
Before you approve the drawings
The design team wants your sign-off on plans and specifications. Approving them commits you to what gets built, and to the cost of changing it later.
When the first change order arrives
Something is different from what you understood. There's a number attached and pressure to approve it quickly so work doesn't stop.
When invoices stop making sense
You're being billed for work you can't verify, in a format you can't reconcile against the contract.
When the project is already going wrong
Schedule has slipped, costs have grown, and communication has broken down. This is a common point of contact, not an unusual one.
What independence means here
"Independent" is a word almost everyone in this industry uses. Here is what it means in practice, stated specifically enough that you can hold me to it.
I am paid only by you
I take no commissions, no referral fees, no markups, no rebates, and no compensation of any kind from contractors, suppliers, designers, or trades. My fee comes from you and nowhere else.
I will not recommend your contractor
This one surprises people, so it's worth being direct about. I don't maintain a list of contractors to send you to. The moment I have a preferred contractor, I have an interest in that contractor being selected — and my review of their bid is worth less to you. If you want help evaluating the contractors you're already considering, that's exactly what I do. What I won't do is add a name to your list.
My fee doesn't move with your budget
I'm not paid a percentage of construction cost. Nothing about how I'm compensated improves if your project gets more expensive.
Fees are set before work begins
You get the fee in writing before I start, with the basis for it stated. No open-ended hourly drift on flat-fee reviews.
You stay the decision-maker
I give you findings, questions, and recommendations. I don't direct your contractor's means, methods, or sequencing, and I don't approve anything on your behalf unless you've authorized it in writing.
How an engagement works
Free 15-Minute Introduction
Complete the short form and choose an available time. We'll briefly discuss what is happening with your project, whether MEAA may be a fit, and a possible next step.
Scope in Writing
If a paid service is appropriate, I define it in writing first: what is included, what will be delivered, when, and what it will cost. Depending on the situation, the next step may be a Project Clarity Session or another MEAA service.
Review and Analysis
I go through the actual materials—drawings, specifications, proposals, change orders, invoices, and contracts—and produce the agreed-upon analysis and deliverables.
Decision Support
We walk through the findings together. I answer your questions and explain the reasoning behind each recommendation, so the decision remains yours and is informed.
See a sample consultation summary · See a sample document review report
Fees
Published, because a practice that reviews other people's pricing shouldn't be vague about its own. Every fee is confirmed in writing before work begins.
Project Clarity Session — $250
45–60 minute recorded video call, pre-call intake, written summary and recommended next steps. Credited toward any full-service package. Flat fee.
Design & Document Review — from $500
Owner-side review of architectural drawings, specifications, and finish schedules, delivered as a written report with action items and questions for your design team. The fee is set by the size and complexity of what's being reviewed — a five-page plan set with three pages of interior design drawings is not the same work as a twenty-two-page set with twelve, and a five-bathroom project is not the same as a two-bathroom one. I tell you the fee in writing, with the basis for it, before I start.
Change Order & Invoice Review — from $400
Bid alignment and scope comparison, change order and invoice analysis, fee and exclusion review, delivered as a written summary with observations and recommended questions. The fee is set by the number and complexity of the documents under review. Confirmed in writing before work begins.
Owner-Side Project Oversight — $750–$1,000 per month
You coordinate your own project with expert backup: bi-weekly progress reviews, site visit observations in person or remote, change order and invoice evaluation, and issue flagging. Monthly, with the rate set by project scale and review cadence.
Full-Service Owner's Representation — quoted per project
Active representation from planning through punch list. Scope and fee are defined in a written proposal after a Project Clarity Session.
Not sure which fits? Start with a free 15-minute introduction call. From there, we can determine together whether a paid service is appropriate for your situation.
Common questions
What is an owner's representative?
Someone who represents the homeowner's interests on a construction or renovation project — reviewing documents, evaluating costs, coordinating communication, and providing decision support. The role is standard on commercial projects, where no owner would sign a large construction contract without one. It's far less common in residential work, which is why most homeowners managing a major renovation are the least-represented party at the table.
How is this different from a general contractor or a project manager?
A general contractor performs the construction and is paid to do it. A construction manager typically works within the delivery of the work. An owner's representative sits on your side and evaluates what the others are proposing, charging, and delivering. The distinction that matters is who pays me and whether I have any interest in the project costing more. You pay me, and I don't.
Do you replace my architect or my contractor?
No. You still need them, and I'm not licensed to do their work. My role is helping you understand and evaluate what they give you, and telling you when a question needs a licensed professional I'm not.
Will you recommend a contractor?
No, and this is deliberate. Referral relationships compromise the independence you're paying for. I'll help you evaluate the contractors you're considering, review their proposals against each other, and support the reference and qualification process. I won't add a name to your list.
How do you get paid?
Directly by you, at the fees published above. No commissions, no referral fees, no markups, no rebates, no percentage of construction cost.
How big does a project need to be for this to make sense?
It's less about size than about exposure. If you're signing a contract you can't fully evaluate, approving drawings you don't fully understand, or facing change orders you can't verify, the amount at risk is usually many multiples of a review fee. Start with a free 15-minute introduction call — from there, we can determine whether a paid service like the Project Clarity Session is appropriate for your situation.
I'm already mid-project and things have gone wrong. Is it too late?
No, and this is a common point of contact. The first step is the same: understand where the project actually stands, what the documents say, and what your position is — then decide how to protect it going forward.
Do you work with homeowners outside Dallas?
Yes — most of the work is remote, and that's by design. Reviewing drawings, bids, contracts, change orders, and invoices doesn't require being on site, so I work with homeowners across the country the same way I'd work with one down the road. When a project genuinely calls for me to be there in person — a walkthrough at a critical phase, a problem best seen firsthand — that can be arranged anywhere, with travel handled as a straightforward add-on that's typically minor next to what's at stake on the project itself.
MEAA Consulting provides homeowner representation, construction consulting, project review, and coordination support. MEAA does not perform construction work, act as a licensed contractor, provide architectural or engineering services, provide code inspections, act as a public insurance adjuster, or replace any licensed professional required by state or local law. All final project decisions remain with the homeowner and the appropriate licensed professionals. Where licensed professionals, permits, inspections, engineering, architectural services, or insurance claim representation are required, the homeowner remains responsible for engaging the appropriate licensed provider.