Price
Everything in your document, for one fixed price
Most of what your document describes is the right direction for EZFX: change orders, cancellations, a payment layer that can take escrow later, and plans with sensible limits. Much of it is new compared with the Phase 1 we priced. We have kept the increase as small as we can, because we see EZFX as a long-term partnership.
Both prices are fixed. The original Phase 1 stays at the agreed if you prefer to keep the earlier scope.
Section-by-section review
All 36 sections, against the agreed Phase 1
Same numbering as your document, so you can read the two side by side.
Covered already in the agreed Phase 1
Updated covered, but the rules change
New · 1A new work, delivered at launch
New · 1B new work, delivered right after launch
Optional not included, quoted when needed
Later designed in, built in a future phase
| # | Topic | Status | What it means for the build |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Payment architecture | Updated New · 1A | Stripe Connect was already in. New: an internal EZFX payment layer, so each project records its provider and escrow or other providers can be added without a rebuild. |
| 2 | Escrow for larger projects | Optional | The database is built escrow-ready in 1A. The Escrow.com integration itself is priced separately and only starts once the provider confirms it supports milestones, change orders, partial releases and the EZFX fee. It never blocks launch. |
| 3 | Small vs. large projects | New · 1A | The routing rule (for example, $10,000 and above) is an admin setting, not code. It switches on escrow routing once the escrow add-on is live. |
| 4 | Customer payment breakdown | New · 1A | Checkout shows project price, the customer's share of the EZFX fee, processing fee, tax line and total due today, plus an internal breakdown for admin. Tax rules need a decision (see Decisions). |
| 5 | EZFX transaction commission | Updated | Replaces the earlier 10-bracket table with the progressive 7.5% / 5% / 2.5% tiers, split 50/50 between customer and contractor, the same for every plan, and charged on the amount actually earned. |
| 6 | Change orders | New · 1A | Create, send, approve, fund, then work. Updates the project total automatically and never charges the EZFX fee twice. Each change order keeps every field in your list. |
| 7 | Contracts and DocuSign | Updated New · 1A | DocuSign for the main contract moves into Phase 1 (it was an add-on). Change orders use EZFX's own electronic acceptance: typed name, checkbox, timestamp, user, IP and device, with a PDF record. Andy to confirm. |
| 8 | Cancellation before work starts | New · 1A | Full refund of unearned funds and the EZFX fee, minus approved non-refundable expenses such as materials or permits. |
| 9 | Definition of "work started" | Covered New · 1A | Check-in, check-out, location and photos were already in. We add an explicit "Start Work" event so a project is only "started" with evidence. |
| 10 | Cancellation after work starts | New · 1A | Contractor is paid for earned work and approved materials; the customer gets the rest back; the EZFX fee is calculated on the settled amount. |
| 11 | Cancellation settlement process | New · 1A | Settlement request with labor, materials, receipts and photos. Customer accepts or disputes; disputed funds are frozen. Uses your status list. |
| 12 | Milestones and cancellations | Covered New · 1A | Milestone payments were already in. Cancelling between milestones now follows the settlement process above. |
| 13 | Disputes | Updated New · 1A | The complete project file was already in. New: a basic dispute workflow that freezes the payout, bundles the evidence and lets admin record the outcome. |
| 14 | Subscription strategy | Updated New · 1B | One $19.99 plan was in Phase 1. Basic, Pro and Elite with their own limits are new. EZFX launches with one plan and the three plans go live in 1B, about four weeks later. |
| 15 | Elite usage limits | New · 1B | Usage counting and limits for signed agreements, storage, AI actions and SMS, with paid top-ups. |
| 16 | Elite power-user risk | New · 1B | Mostly policy (Terms of Service, Andy). The build adds monitoring for unusual volume and patterns. |
| 17 | Off-platform circumvention | Covered New · 1B | Hidden contact details and message screening were already in. New: flags for suspicious patterns, such as a cancellation followed by unusual activity. |
| 18 | Unlimited bids, fair use | New · 1B | Rate limits, duplicate-bid detection, and checks that bids match the contractor's category, area and licenses. Advanced bot detection later. |
| 19 | Users and seats | Covered | One primary user per account is how Phase 1 was designed. |
| 20 | Additional users | New · 1B | Company accounts with paid seats, each with its own login, permissions, assignments and history. Seat price set in admin. |
| 21 | Individual user tracking | New · 1A | An audit trail recording who did what, on which project, when, and from which device. |
| 22 | Roles and permissions | New · 1B Later | 1B adds the foundation (owner and team member). The full role list (estimator, accounting and others) is built later on the same structure. |
| 23 | AWS and storage | Covered New · 1B | Secure storage was already in. Per-plan storage limits are 1B; cheaper archive storage for closed projects is later. |
| 24 | AI usage | Covered Optional | AI job descriptions were already in; limits come with 1B. AI help for bids, scopes, invoices and change orders is an optional add-on. |
| 25 | SMS and notifications | Covered New · 1B | Email and SMS were already in. New: an in-app notification center and channel priorities so SMS is used only for key events. |
| 26 | Contractor verification | Covered | Identity, business details, insurance, licenses and Nebraska registration were already in. Background checks stay an optional add-on. |
| 27 | Hidden operating costs | Covered | No build needed. Our running-cost table covers these, and the admin dashboard will show processing costs per project. |
| 28 | Subscription vs. transaction costs | Covered | A business rule we follow in how fees and plans are configured; no separate feature. |
| 29 | Admin controls | Updated New · 1A | Commission and subscription price were already editable. New: every new setting in this document, from fee rules to escrow thresholds, editable without code. |
| 30 | Admin payment dashboard | Updated New · 1A | Payments view was already in. New: the full per-project financial ledger in your list, plus the ability to suspend a payout. |
| 31 | Project and payment statuses | New · 1A | A status engine built around your list, including milestone statuses. |
| 32 | Final invoice | New · 1A | Original contract plus approved change orders, fees, payments, releases, refunds and balance, as a PDF. Contractor invoices during the project are included too. |
| 33 | Prime contractor and subcontractors | Later | Policy now (Terms of Service). Assigning subcontractors to a project is a future feature the data model will allow. |
| 34 | Future Enterprise plan | Later | Not in Phase 1. Nothing in the architecture prevents it. |
| 35 | Phase 1 priorities | Covered | The updated Phase 1 delivers your full priority list. |
| 36 | Core business principles | Covered | Reflected throughout the build plan. |
New work and hours
Exactly what the new work is
All of it is included in the $32,000 updated Phase 1. Hours show the size of each piece of work.
Phase 1A: delivered at launch
Money moves correctly in every situation: change orders, cancellations, disputes and payouts.
| Work | Hours |
|---|
Phase 1B: delivered about four weeks after launch
The subscription model in your document: three plans, usage limits, paid seats and marketplace integrity.
| Work | Hours |
|---|
Not included: quoted if and when needed
| Work | Hours |
|---|
Supplier advertising. Supplier advertising was in the original Phase 1, but your document does not mention it. If it is no longer needed, tell us and we will drop it.
Timeline
How long it takes
| Scope | Launch | After launch |
|---|---|---|
| Updated Phase 1, all included Recommended | 18–20 weeks, with one subscription plan | Plans, limits and seats (1B) about 4 weeks after launch |
| Agreed Phase 1 ($25,000) | 14–16 weeks | Document items quoted as later phases |
Timelines start once the contract is in place and assume timely feedback, third-party accounts (Stripe, DocuSign, Twilio, OpenAI) and Andy's documents on schedule. We add developers to the team for the updated scope to keep these dates.
Decisions needed
What we need from you and Andy before we lock scope
- Updated Phase 1 at $32,000, or the original scope at $25,000.
- Supplier advertising: keep it or drop it.
- Taxes at checkout: show a manual tax line that admin sets, or automate sales tax (Stripe Tax add-on). This depends on where EZFX operates.
- Andy: approve EZFX's own electronic acceptance for change orders, with DocuSign for the main contract.
- Andy: approve the fund-flow model and the wording for funds held before release.
- Escrow: confirm the provider (Escrow.com) and share their API terms once you have them.
- Launch plan: which single plan EZFX launches with until Basic, Pro and Elite go live.
- Spanish: confirm English and Spanish are still required at launch, as in the original brief.
How we protect launch
Bigger scope, same discipline
- Escrow never blocks launchThe payment layer is ready for it, but the integration only starts after the provider confirms it fits EZFX's model.
- Scope locks at the prototypeOnce the clickable prototype is approved, that is the build. Anything new is written up with hours and cost before work starts.
- Built for later, not built nowRoles, Enterprise and subcontractor features have room in the data model, so they never need a rebuild.
- Visible progressDaily written updates, a weekly call in US Central hours, and a test site from week one.
Next steps
- Confirm the scope and answer the decisions above. A 30-minute call is the fastest way.
- We update the scope and milestone schedule to match, here on Upwork.
- Kickoff as soon as the legal process is done and the contract is in place.