What clients say about working with Construction Advocates to resolve conflicts.

“The first question we asked Steve was, “Why do we need you and not a lawyer?” Now we know Steve is the first call, before even signing a purchase agreement, to help avoid potentially expensive litigation and lengthy delays in getting into your quality new home. We’d never built a home before and we were in the middle of relocating across the country to Minnesota. Unfortunately, our builder was not providing construction schedules, which was delaying our move-in date by months. He also wasn’t providing documentation of change orders, so when we were handed a change order bill, we had no confidence in paying it. That’s where Steve came in. His 30+ years experience as the owner of a construction firm meant he carried immediate credibility. He knew what questions to ask and instead of using litigation to get results, he used his knowledge to get the right documentation. In the end, Steve’s detailed work enabled us to feel good about paying the change order bill from our builder while putting a fair escrow contract in place to ensure work was done post-closing.”

- Todd and Tia N.

“My husband and I met Steve when our building project had gone from bad to worse. We were in a tough spot, money spent, project stalled and at risk of it being a complete loss. A local attorney recommended we connect with Steve to help us decide which direction to take next. Steve met with us, listened to our story, empathized and got to work right away spelling out our options. Steve became our construction advocate, speaking to the builder on our behalf, inspecting each step of the build, being on site for us, and even helping negotiate budget difficulties between us and the builder. Steve was able to step into a very difficult situation as a trusted source we could rely on, giving us peace of mind that our project was being done right, and making many critical catches when it was not. Steve cared deeply about us as people, was available whenever we needed him, held the builder accountable and did everything he could to see the project to completion. Because of Steve, our project was completed and we are now enjoying our lake property. Thank you, Steve, for caring about us. We are truly grateful.”

 -Kate and Roger B.

“Steve Northway served as a vital role in the conflict resolution of a “nightmare” remodel we experienced. At the time that we discovered the severity of the situation, 99% of the project budget had been spent and emotions were running high. It was crucial how Steve served as a professional, level-headed, clear-headed, competent, resource-filled, and fact-finding advocate. He held our hands as we went through the roller coaster of feelings and sorted through the decisions to be made about how to handle the situation.  Once we had our facts about the good and bad of our remodel, we decided to utilize Steve’s further skills in conflict resolution alongside our construction lawyer.  With Steve’s groundwork for a safe and open environment, we were able to calmly and respectfully come to decisions which both parties agreed to. What could have been a highly-charged, separate room, uncivil mediation at our lawyer’s office, ended up being a calm, fair, honest exchange between both parties!  Thank you Steve for BEING THERE for us in ways which were in alignment with our values and for bringing your excellent conflict-resolution skills which were invaluable in our situation.“

 - John and Gaye C.

“Steve saved us time, stress, and money in his role as counselor, voice of reason, mediator, and technical advisor. When our construction build ran into trouble, the only path we were aware of was to take legal action. Fortunately, our attorney offered us an alternative path and referred us to Steve Northway. Steve’s process addressed the core issues rather than wasting time on legal documentation, interrogations, and court proceedings. Thanks to Steve, we paid a few hundred dollars in legal fees, not tens of thousands of dollars.”

-Joe and Jodi E.

“We wanted to thank you for your help with our initial home design and build process. While we initially loved the builder and their design team, you helped us navigate the construction contract process and gave us good questions to ask. Those questions allowed us to perform some important due diligence, evaluate several yellow flags, and challenge the builder on some key points regarding their contract. Ultimately, your counsel helped us separate from that builder and cut our losses much sooner than we may have otherwise. Thank you for all your help, wisdom, and counsel. We are very grateful!”

- James, Northern Colorado

“I would recommend including Steve Northway with Construction Advocates in any construction project. The first time I called Steve was late in the evening and I expected to get his voicemail with a return call the following day. Instead Steve answered my call and took the time to understand the situation. During that meeting he identified 7-10 issues with the way our house was being constructed. At Steve’s suggestion, we met with the builders on site and he backed up all of our concerns with his knowledge of the building process. This got our builder back on track and his team corrected the issues. I cannot say enough about how great Steve is as a person but also as a resource to us as homeowners. I would absolutely hire Steve again for any construction project to review legal documents, help manage decisions and bridge the gap between us as homeowners and the builder.”

- David J.