Frequently asked questions

For homeowners

What does the $50 deposit actually do?

It books your walkthrough and proves to contractors you're serious, which is why they bid promptly. When you hire through One Walkthrough, the full $50 is subtracted from your first project payment, and you'll see it as a line item. If we fail to deliver the promised bids, it's refunded automatically.

Is the walkthrough a home inspection?

No. It's a visual documentation visit for pricing your project: measurements, photos, and conditions as observed. It doesn't open walls or certify code compliance, and it isn't a substitute for a licensed inspection when you're buying a home.

Do I have to hire one of the bidders?

Never. The bids are yours to consider. If none fits, you owe nothing beyond the deposit, and the scope document is yours to keep.

How do I know the contractors are legit?

Every bidder's NJ license and insurance are verified before they can bid, and each bid arrives with the contractor's track record on our platform: jobs completed, on-time payments, disputes.

What protects my money during the project?

You never pay large sums up front. The project is split into stages; you fund each stage as it starts, and money is released only after you approve the completed work. At every payment, the contractor signs a waiver confirming they've been paid, which protects your home from liens.

The money for a stage sits in your contractor's payment account with Stripe, frozen so they cannot withdraw it, and your approval is the only thing that unfreezes it. One Walkthrough never holds your money. Full detail, including what this is not.

For contractors

What does it cost me?

Nothing to join, nothing to bid. You pay a percentage only on jobs you win, capped per project. Founding contractors pay a reduced rate on their first jobs.

Can I trust someone else's measurements?

The packet tells you what was measured, what was observed, and what wasn't. If your takeoff differs, you state your quantity next to your price. And you make one verification visit after winning, before the contract signs, so nothing locks until you've seen it yourself.

Do I have to maintain a profile?

No. Onboarding is one short session. After that, invitations come to you by text and email; the only recurring task is your annual insurance certificate, and we remind you.

For scopers

Who scopes, and how are they paid?

Scopers are trained professionals, many of them licensed home inspectors, paid a flat fee per visit that never depends on the size of any bid. That flat fee is what keeps the paperwork neutral.

Help

Homeowners

Reschedule or cancel a walkthrough: reply to your confirmation text or email up to 24 hours before your window, no charge.

Day of the visit: an adult must be home; please secure pets and clear access to the electrical panel, under sinks, and attic/basement doors. Your scoper texts when they're on the way.

Something wrong with a bid or your project: use the message thread on your project page first; documented issues resolve fastest. Payment disputes follow the process in your agreement, and a human reviews every one.

Contractors

Invitation didn't arrive / wrong trade or county: your matching settings may be stale; reply to any invitation or contact us to update trades and counties.

Insurance certificate expiring: you'll get reminders before invitations pause; send the renewed certificate and matching resumes immediately.

Question about a specific packet: ask it in the packet's Q&A. Answers publish to all bidders, which keeps bidding fair.

Terms of Use

Who we are. One Walkthrough [LLC], a New Jersey company. Using this site means you accept these terms.

What the site does. The site schedules project walkthroughs, delivers scope documents, manages sealed contractor bidding, and administers stage payments. One Walkthrough is a documentation and facilitation platform: contractors contract directly with homeowners, and we are not a party to construction contracts and do not guarantee any contractor's work.

Accounts and accuracy. You agree that information you submit (project details, credentials, bids) is accurate. We may suspend access for misuse, including circumvention of the bidding or fee process, scraping, or interference with other users.

Agreements and electronic signatures. Role-specific agreements are presented and accepted electronically during onboarding and submission flows. You consent to transact electronically; each acceptance is recorded with the agreement version, timestamp, and account.

Content. Scope packets and platform content belong to One Walkthrough and its licensors; homeowners receive the license described in the Homeowner Agreement. Don't reuse platform content outside the platform's purpose.

Disclaimers and limits. The site is provided as-is; to the maximum extent permitted by law, our liability related to site use is limited to $[500]. This does not limit anything that cannot be limited under New Jersey law, and the role agreements' terms govern their subject matter.

Disputes. Binding arbitration in [Somerset County], New Jersey; NJ law governs. Changes to these terms are posted here with a new effective date.

Effective date: [date] · Version: [1.0]

Privacy Policy

What we collect. Homeowners: contact details, project address, project details, photos and measurements of the project areas, payment records. Contractors and scopers: business and credential details, insurance certificates, tax forms, bids, and platform activity. Everyone: basic technical logs needed to run the service.

What we do with it. Run the service: schedule visits, build scope packets, manage bidding, verify credentials, process payments, resolve disputes, meet legal obligations. We also use aggregated, anonymized project data (never your name or exact address) to publish market statistics like typical project costs by county.

What we never do. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share homeowner contact details with anyone except the contractors bidding your specific project, at the moment bidding requires it. No lead lists, no data brokers, no exceptions.

Photos of your home. Project photos exist to document your project for bidding and dispute resolution. They're shared with bidding contractors as part of the packet and are not used in marketing without your separate written permission.

Texts and email. With your consent we send transactional messages (confirmations, scoper ETAs, bid notices). Reply STOP to end texts; every marketing email has an unsubscribe link.

Retention and your choices. Project records are kept as long as needed for the purposes above and legal requirements, then deleted or anonymized. Ask us at [privacy@onewalkthrough.com] to access or delete your information, and we'll honor it except where law or an active project requires retention.

Payments. Card and bank details are processed by our payment provider [Stripe]; we never store full card numbers.

Effective date: [date] · Version: [1.0]

How your money is handled

Most of what goes wrong in a renovation goes wrong around money, so this page says plainly where your money sits, who can move it, and what protections you do and do not have. Nothing here is buried in the agreements.

Where the money actually sits

When you pay for a stage, the money goes to a payment account that your contractor holds with Stripe, our payments provider. It does not pass through a One Walkthrough bank account, and we never take possession of it.

That account is set up so your contractor cannot withdraw from it. Payouts are frozen. The only thing that unfreezes money for a stage is your approval of that stage. Until then, your contractor can see the money and cannot touch it.

What this is, and what it is not

This arrangement gives you the practical protection people want from escrow: your contractor is paid for finished work, not promises, and no large sum sits in their operating account before the work is done.

It is not a legal escrow arrangement, One Walkthrough is not an escrow agent, bank, or trustee, and we are not licensed as a money transmitter. Your funds are not FDIC insured and are not held in a trust account. We control when funds are released under the schedule below. We do not hold them.

What actually protects you

• You pay stage by stage. No large deposit up front, and money for later stages is not funded until those stages begin.
• Work stages release only when you approve them. A stage pays out when you approve it, or [5] business days after your contractor claims completion if you neither approve nor raise a specific objection. Objections must name a scope line item and attach a photo, so "I'm not happy" cannot hold a contractor's final payment hostage and vague dissatisfaction cannot stall a project.
• One stage is different. If your contractor includes a materials stage, it is released as soon as you pay it, so they can place orders. It is capped at the materials allowances printed in the scope packet you compared bids against, it is shown as a separate line in every bid so you can see which contractors ask for it, and it is the only payment on your project that is not protected by your approval. Every other stage is.
• Lien waivers at every payment. Your contractor signs, for each amount received, a waiver of lien rights against your home for that amount.
• The scope defines "done." Completion is measured against line items in your Packet, not against opinions.

What it costs, and who pays it

You pay the contract price and nothing else. There is no One Walkthrough line item on your bill, no service fee, and no processing surcharge added to what you pay.

Our fee is paid by your contractor out of the contract amount, and Stripe separates it at the moment you pay. Payment processing is also billed to your contractor at Stripe's cost, never marked up by us. This is why your contractor may accept bank transfer only above a certain amount: cards cost them roughly 2.9% while a bank transfer costs a few dollars, and we do not let that difference land on you.

Timing, honestly

Approving a stage does not always mean the money leaves that instant. Card and bank payments take a couple of business days to clear through Stripe before they can be paid out. When that happens, your project page says the money is on its way rather than claiming it arrived, and the payout completes on its own. Nothing further is needed from you, and no one has to chase it.

If you are not happy with a stage

You object to specific items, naming the part of the scope that is not right and attaching a photo. That stage is held while your contractor responds.

Your contractor has [10] business days to fix what you named. When they say it is fixed you have [3] business days to look. If either of you wants a neutral opinion, a different scoper, never the one who wrote your packet, walks the disputed items against the scope and writes a finding; whoever it goes against pays for that visit. Anything still unresolved goes to binding arbitration under your agreement.

Through all of that the disputed money does not move. One Walkthrough does not decide who is right. We hold the funds where they are and follow the process you both agreed to.

If something goes wrong

Refunds of a stage you already funded but which has not been released are handled case by case through support. Once a stage is approved and paid out, the money is your contractor's, and a dispute over that work follows the process in your Homeowner Agreement: specific objection, cure period, independent re-inspection by a different scoper, then binding arbitration. If a payment fails or bounces after we recorded it, that stage returns to unpaid and you will see it on your project page.

One Walkthrough facilitates payments between you and your contractor. We are not a party to your construction contract and we do not guarantee any contractor's workmanship.

Effective date: [date] · Version: [1.0]

Our guarantee, in plain words

Three bids or your deposit back. We only schedule a walkthrough when enough vetted contractors match your project to make real competition likely. If we still fail to deliver [3] bids by your deadline, your $50 comes back automatically, and the scope document is yours to keep either way.

Your deposit is never a fee when you hire through us. It's subtracted, visibly, from your first project payment.

Your money moves only when work is done. Stage-by-stage funding, released on your approval, with lien protection paperwork collected at every payment.

If a scoper is late or misses a visit, you choose: keep it or reschedule with the deposit waived. If we ever outright miss a visit without notice, the walkthrough is free.

Homeowner Agreement

1 · What you're buying

One visit by a One Walkthrough scoper who measures, photographs, and documents your project, producing a written Scope of Work ("the Packet"). We then invite licensed, insured contractors from our roster to submit sealed bids on the identical Packet. Our standard is at least [3] bids or your deposit back.

2 · What the walkthrough is, and is not

The walkthrough is a visual, non-invasive documentation visit. The scoper does not open walls, lift flooring, move stored items, or disassemble anything. The Packet records what was observed, what was measured, and, explicitly, what was not observed and why. It is not a licensed home inspection, an appraisal, an engineering evaluation, or a code-compliance certification. Conditions concealed inside walls, under floors, or in inaccessible areas are addressed through the Packet's contingency disclosures, which instruct bidders how to price the unknowns.

3 · The deposit

You pay a $50 deposit to schedule. If you hire through One Walkthrough, the full $50 is credited against your first stage payment, shown as a line item. If we fail to deliver [3] bids by deadline, it's refunded automatically. If you receive bids and choose not to proceed, it's retained as the walkthrough fee and the Packet is yours to keep. A first missed appointment (no adult home after our confirmations) reschedules free; a second forfeits the deposit as a trip fee.

4 · Bids

Bids are sealed. Each arrives with the contractor's verified license and insurance status, business profile, and platform track record. You may choose any bid or none. If fewer than [3] bids arrive, we tell you plainly and you may proceed or take the refund.

5 · If you hire through One Walkthrough

The winning contractor makes one verification visit before contract signing; adjustments happen before signing, not after. The project runs on stage payments: you fund each stage as it begins, and funds release when you approve completed work, or [5] business days after completion is claimed if you neither approve nor object with specifics. A lien waiver is collected at each release.

6 · Disputes

Specific objection → contractor cure period of [10] business days → independent re-inspection by a different scoper against the Packet → binding arbitration in [Somerset County], NJ. One Walkthrough facilitates this process; it does not guarantee any contractor's workmanship.

7 · Access and safety

An adult (18+) must be present for interior visits. Scopers never enter an unoccupied home and never conduct a visit with only a minor present. Exterior-only visits without you home require prior written consent. Areas we cannot access are recorded as not observed.

8 · Your Packet, your photos

The Packet and photos are licensed to you for any use. We retain a copy for platform operations and aggregated, anonymized market statistics. We never sell your contact information.

9 · Limits of our responsibility

Our services are provided with reasonable professional care. To the maximum extent permitted by law, One Walkthrough's total liability arising from the walkthrough and Packet is limited to [the greater of $500 or the total fees paid to us for your project]. We are not liable for the acts, omissions, or workmanship of any contractor, who contracts with you directly. Nothing in this section limits liability that cannot be limited under New Jersey law.

10 · The practical stuff

You may cancel free up to [24] hours before your appointment. New Jersey law governs; if any provision is unenforceable, the rest survive.

Version 1.1 · Accepting this agreement electronically when scheduling is recorded with the version and timestamp.

Contractor Roster Agreement

1 · Staying on the roster

Maintain and provide proof of: active NJ home improvement license/registration in good standing; general liability insurance (certificate naming One Walkthrough LLC); any bond required under NJ law. Lapsed credentials pause invitations until cured; nothing is charged.

2 · How invitations work

Jobs match your trades and counties; invitations arrive by text/email with the packet attached. Bidding is always optional and declines are never penalized. Bids are sealed. Homeowners see your verified credentials, your profile (blurb, website, review links), and your platform track record alongside your bid.

3 · The packet, and what you may rely on

Quantities were measured by a trained scoper; not-observed areas and contingencies are flagged. If your takeoff differs, state your quantity next to your price; do not silently re-scope. You must acknowledge all addenda before bidding. If you win, you make one verification visit before contract signing, where discrepancies are reconciled in the price. The packet is a bidding document, not a warranty; post-contract claims based on packet contents you had the opportunity to verify are waived.

4 · The fee

[3]% of final contract value, capped at $[2,500] per project, due only when you sign with a homeowner we introduced. Founding rate: [1.5]% on your first [3] wins. Nothing owed for joining, bidding, or losing. The fee applies to any contract, on- or off-platform, within [18] months of introduction. The fee is collected from the first stage disbursement.

5 · Getting paid

Milestone schedule tied to packet line items; homeowner funds each stage before it begins; on approval (or lapse of the [5]-business-day objection window) funds release to you within [24-48] hours, with a lien waiver at each release. Change orders go through the platform and require homeowner approval before work proceeds.

6 · Conduct

No soliciting scoped homeowners outside the bidding process; no cash side-deal offers; either is immediate removal. Dual-role rule: if you or your employees also scope, your firm is barred from bidding any job you scoped and from soliciting homeowners met while scoping.

7 · Leaving, and the practical stuff

Leave anytime with notice; accrued fees survive. You are an independent business, not our employee or agent; you contract directly with homeowners and are solely responsible for your work. Disputes: binding arbitration in [Somerset County], NJ; New Jersey law governs.

Version 1.1 · Acceptance is recorded with version and timestamp at first bid.