Does my builder have to join?

No. You upload or forward what you already have. I never require the contractor to use Nico.

Generic for both. CAD and USD labels. Imperial. Retainage and holdback as words, not a verdict. I never assert a named statute on your PDF.

Will you tell me not to sign?

No. I do not say whether the paper is sound. I quote the file, say what I cannot tell, and give you a question you can send.

What happens to the upload?

Improvement-use consent is optional and off by default. Share links expire after 24 hours. You can save your review to keep working with its questions.

Can Nico watch the whole job?

Invited design partners can keep a project record, add replies, and confirm resolutions. You can apply for access after saving a review. The two free tools stay available without a Watcher seat.

What does a construction contract review look at?

Whether the file is a bid or a contract, how the price is structured, deposits and draws, allowances, who can start extra work, holdback or retainage, and what the paper is silent on. I do not hire anyone for you.

For homeowners, owner-builders, small builders, flippers

I watch the record of your build and tell you what deserves attention.

Before the next decision, change, or payment. Deposits, extras, and photos you cannot take twice. You do not need your contractor to sign up. I am a review copilot. You decide.

Try a free check See how it works

First check free. Next check $9.

Get on the list

Sound familiar?

This week, the paper asked for 30% before any work existed.

Home builds leak money in the record: deposits, extras, and photos you cannot take twice. I do not tell you to walk away. I show you what is missing before the next payment.

Before you sign

50% deposit on a $14,850 paneling estimate. No retainage.

When an extra shows up

$17,000 “extras true-up” after a $24,500 fixed price. Blank CO form.

Fictional examples

Three real shapes. Input on the left. What I flag on the right.

Names and addresses are invented. The dollars, percents, and photo stages match the packets we QA’d. Same cards you get from a free check. I quote the file, say what I cannot tell, and leave you a question — not a verdict.

Cedar Ridge Interiors · Estimate & payment packet

Fictional Cedar Ridge Interiors estimate and payment packet

Looks fine so far.

No highlights yet. Same packet a homeowner would skim and call “normal.”

Check a bid or contract

Fictional example. Nico is a review copilot, not an inspector or lawyer.

Two checks you can run today

Review one agreement with its attachments, compare separate bids, or check a change request against the original paper. First completed analysis is free. Each additional review is $9 USD.

Contract / bid audit

Before you sign, or when two bids do not look comparable.

I walk the money, allowances, change-order power, holdback/retainage, and what is silent. Up to five bids.

Change-order checker

When an extra, invoice, or “as needed” shows up.

I do not say valid or invalid. I check whether it is even a change order, what fields are missing, overlap, and the running total.

Electrical box in an open stud bay — Open-wall electrical box. Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative, not a pass or fail of anyone’s job.

PEX pipes and valves in a basement ceiling — PEX and valves before close-up. Tomwsulcer, Wikimedia Commons.

Kitchen renovation access panel box, pipes not yet hidden — Access-panel boxing before the cover. Tomwsulcer, Wikimedia Commons. A record, not a punch.

A review copilot

I point at the record. You decide.

Not a contractor, inspector, lawyer, architect, or building official. I do not approve work. I do not say a change order is valid. I do not claim code compliance. I do not need your GC on Nico.

The full note

Nico is a review copilot. It supports you and points at things worth a closer look. It does not make decisions, approve work, certify anything, or give legal advice. It is not a contractor, inspector, lawyer, architect, or building official. You decide.

The things people ask before they upload.

Something we missed? Tell us what you need watched · Something in a check was wrong

Yes. The first completed analysis is free. The next one is $9, same tool or another. You see the full result before any signup wall.

Invitation-only Watcher

A watched project, if you want it

Keep the questions from a free review, add the builder’s reply, and confirm what is resolved. The two document reviews are open to everyone; Watcher projects require an invitation.

01
You upload the contract.
I extract a baseline. You confirm what was actually agreed.
02
You add what you already receive.
Files and photos now. Email and texts later, if you ask for them.
03
I compare each new thing to the record.
Not to a vibe. To the paper you already signed or were asked to sign.
04
If it matters, it needs your attention.
You decide. I never decide. Your contractor does not have to join.

Founder access is $199 USD once for six months and one project. Extra projects are $40 each during that term. Continuing afterward takes a separate signup at $49 USD per project per month.

Request a watched project

Waitlist

The two reviews run today. Join the list for an invitation to keep a watched project record.

Tell me when you can watch a job

Name, email, role, Canada or US, and whether you are in an active job. Tell us which contract or change question you need help tracking.