Client engagement terms
The rules behind the work should be as clear as the work itself.
These general terms define how ABDOREN scopes, performs, delivers, and closes its professional service engagements. The specific proposal or engagement record defines what is being purchased.
Effective July 22, 2026. These are general engagement terms. The agreement, proposal, or statement of work for a specific project may add or modify terms for a particular service.
1. The engagement
Each engagement is governed by the Service Agreement, statement of work, or other written engagement record issued by ABDOREN, together with these terms. That record identifies the client, deliverables, fee, payment schedule, timing, revision allowance, responsibilities, and known exclusions. An engagement begins only after the client accepts the written engagement record and satisfies its stated payment and intake conditions. If a term written for a specific project conflicts with these general terms, the term written for that project controls.
2. Scope of services
ABDOREN performs only the services expressly identified in the agreed scope. A Project Development Package may include clarification, scope development, pricing organization, a proposal for the homeowner, and an internal production handoff. Document System work may include one document, one operational process, a coordinated document group, or a complete company system. Any service, meeting, visit, revision, implementation activity, or deliverable not stated in the agreed scope is excluded unless added in writing.
3. Client information and decisions
The client will provide accurate, complete, and timely project records, pricing, measurements, photographs, selections, subcontractor information, current documents, operating practices, access, responsible contacts, and approvals reasonably required for the work. ABDOREN may rely on information supplied by the client and authorized third parties. The client remains responsible for its pricing, markup, professional judgment, licensing, code compliance, field verification, contracts, business decisions, and construction execution.
4. Clarifications and unresolved information
ABDOREN may identify missing information, inconsistent instructions, unclear responsibility, or decisions that affect the work. Delivery dates may pause while those items remain unresolved. ABDOREN is not responsible for concealed conditions, inaccurate source material, omitted information, later project changes, or conditions that could not reasonably be determined from the records and access provided.
5. Fees and payment
Fees and the applicable payment schedule are stated in the engagement record or invoice. Unless stated otherwise, invoices are due upon receipt. ABDOREN may require a deposit or full payment before reserving capacity or beginning work and may suspend work or withhold draft and final deliverables while an amount is past due. Payment obligations are not contingent on the client's receipt of payment from a homeowner, lender, insurer, or other third party.
6. Timing
Any start date, review period, or delivery date is an estimate based on the agreed scope and the information available when the engagement is confirmed. Timing may change because of incomplete information, delayed decisions or approvals, expanded scope, additional review cycles, site access, response from another party, illness, emergency, or circumstances outside ABDOREN's reasonable control. ABDOREN will communicate material schedule changes.
7. Revisions and additional work
Included revisions are limited to the number and type stated in the engagement record. Revision requests should be consolidated and provided in writing by the client's authorized contact. New information, changed pricing, changed selections, added project areas, new operating decisions, expanded meetings, or requests outside the agreed scope may be quoted as additional work. ABDOREN is not required to proceed with added work until the scope, fee, and timing are approved in writing.
8. Authorized communication
The client will identify the person or people authorized to provide information, approve decisions, and request changes. ABDOREN may rely on written instructions from an authorized contact. ABDOREN will not contact the client's homeowner, subcontractors, vendors, employees, or other relationships unless that involvement is authorized as part of the engagement.
9. Confidentiality
Each party will use reasonable care to protect nonpublic business, client, pricing, subcontractor, and operating information received through the engagement. ABDOREN will use client information to perform the agreed services and will not use one contractor's confidential pricing or operating system to build another contractor's work. Confidentiality does not apply to information already lawfully known, publicly available through no breach, independently developed, or required to be disclosed by law.
10. Ownership and working materials
After all amounts due are paid, the client owns the final deliverables created specifically for that client and identified in the engagement record. ABDOREN retains ownership of its existing materials, methods, frameworks, general knowledge, internal tools, working notes, and reusable processes. Unless expressly included, drafts, internal analysis, source tools, and unused concepts are not deliverables. The client may use its paid final deliverables in its own business but may not resell or present ABDOREN's existing materials as a separate commercial product without written permission.
11. Legal and professional review
ABDOREN is not a law firm and does not provide legal, engineering, architectural, accounting, tax, or insurance advice. Operational documents may affect legal rights and should be reviewed by qualified counsel in the client's state and local jurisdiction before use. The client is responsible for deciding whether additional review by a licensed professional is required.
12. No guarantee of project outcome
ABDOREN will perform the agreed services using reasonable professional care. ABDOREN does not guarantee project profitability, estimate accuracy, client acceptance, sales results, permit approval, code compliance, dispute prevention, legal enforceability, field performance, or construction outcome. Documents support the contractor's decisions and operations; they do not replace the contractor's supervision, verification, or judgment.
13. Suspension and termination
Either party may terminate an engagement by written notice, subject to the agreement for that project. ABDOREN may suspend or terminate work for nonpayment, repeated delay, failure to provide required information or access, abusive conduct, illegal or unethical requests, undisclosed conflicts, or material breach. The client remains responsible for services performed, reserved capacity when designated nonrefundable, approved expenses, and committed costs from another party through the effective termination date. Completed work may be delivered in proportion to amounts paid, when practical.
14. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, ABDOREN's total liability arising from an engagement will not exceed the fees actually paid to ABDOREN for the specific service giving rise to the claim. ABDOREN will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, lost profit, lost opportunity, construction delay, rework, or claims arising from client decisions, inaccurate information, concealed conditions, third parties, or field execution.
15. Disputes and governing law
The parties will first attempt in good faith to resolve a dispute through direct written discussion. Before filing suit, either party may request nonbinding mediation in Midland County, Texas, unless immediate injunctive or collection relief is reasonably required. These terms are governed by Texas law, and venue for a court proceeding will lie in Midland County, Texas, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
16. Acceptance and complete agreement
The applicable engagement record, these terms, and any written amendment constitute the complete agreement for the services. They replace prior discussions about the same work. Acceptance may be completed by electronic signature or another written method stated in the engagement record. Payment satisfies the applicable payment condition but does not replace acceptance of the written engagement record. No change is binding unless confirmed in writing by both parties or their authorized representatives.
Questions
Questions about an engagement or these terms may be sent to projects@abdoren.com.