Development

A multifamily project, start to finish: who does what

One shared project record. Each person works it in their own portal. Built from Focus's multifamily procedures and DOE's workflows (HOMES WF 3/6, HEAR WF 14).

Pick a step
Dashed: shown to the other person, the project stays put

Drawn 12 October 2026 for the multifamily contractor portal design (contractor portal #82). The numbers give the saved walkthrough order. Diamonds are decisions. Solid arrows are handoffs; dashed arrows share information.

The same chart as a list

  1. Registered and approved — One-time, before any project. The contractor portal only shows a placeholder for it.
  2. Sets up the property — Buildings and units; tenants or a housing agreement prove income. Hands off to step 2, Approve the building's income; step 3, Connects a contractor.
  3. Decision: Approve the building's income — The building gets an LEA- (low) or MEA- (moderate) code, valid 1 year. Waits on step 1, Sets up the property.
  4. Connects a contractor — Gives the building code, or opens the contractor's invite link.
    • Linking comes first: the account and the contractor link to one project before anything is shared.
    • A project code (PRJ-) links at once. A building code (LEA- or MEA-) needs the account's one-click yes.
    Waits on step 1, Sets up the property. Hands off to step 4, Start the project.
  5. Start the project — From the building code, the account's project code, or with an invite.
    • Linking comes first: the account and the contractor link to one project before anything is shared.
    • A project code (PRJ-) links at once. A building code (LEA- or MEA-) needs the account's one-click yes.
    Waits on step 3, Connects a contractor. Hands off to step 5, Design the work.
  6. Design the work — HOMES: energy assessment and model showing 20%+ savings. HEAR: Manual J per unit type, certified models, bill impact analysis for heat pumps.
    • The contractor does the energy assessment, as a registered assessor.
    • The $2,000 low-income assessment incentive is the contractor's own claim in the same project.
    • Today a multifamily assessment claim filed in the contractor portal reaches no staff screen.
    Waits on step 4, Start the project. Hands off to step 6, Signs the early papers (shown, the project stays put); step 7, Lines, units and proposal.
  7. Signs the early papers — Low-Income Building Owner Acknowledgment Form; heat pump bill impact analysis (the account or a tenant).
    • Only low-income buildings and heat pump jobs have anything to sign before the work.
    • Focus has paused multifamily heat pumps for now.
    Waits on step 5, Design the work.
  8. Lines, units and proposal — One line per model, units picked, caps checked as you type. The proposal is shared with the account. Waits on step 5, Design the work. Hands off to step 8, Sees the proposal (shown, the project stays put); step 9, Send the reservation.
  9. Sees the proposal — In their portal. Not asked to accept it. Waits on step 7, Lines, units and proposal.
  10. Send the reservation — Opens when every required answer and document is in. Waits on step 7, Lines, units and proposal. Hands off to step 10, Two reviews.
  11. Decision: Two reviews — Implementer check, then Administrator approval, about 2 business days each. Corrections go back to the contractor (44 days to answer). Waits on step 9, Send the reservation. Hands off to step 11, Approved: offer letter.
  12. Decision: Approved: offer letter — The rebate is reserved, with an expiry date. Waits on step 10, Two reviews. Hands off to step 12, Change order or extension.
  13. Change order or extension — Only if needed: new estimate, re-review, new offer letter if the rebate changes. Waits on step 11, Approved: offer letter. Hands off to step 13, Do the work.
  14. Do the work — Safety tests and quality-install photos on a sample of units (4 to 20 by building size). Waits on step 12, Change order or extension. Hands off to step 14, Signs off the work (shown, the project stays put); step 15, Request payment.
  15. Signs off the work — Initials each line on the offer letter; signs and dates it and the final invoice.
    • The contractor signs first, then the account signs in its own portal.
    • Paper still works: the account uploads it or mails it to Focus.
    Waits on step 13, Do the work.
  16. Request payment — Final invoice with the rebate shown as a discount, install dates, final models. HEAR 4 documents, HOMES 7 to 8. Waits on step 13, Do the work. Hands off to step 16, Payment review.
  17. Decision: Payment review — Desk check of every project; an inspection before payment if the rebate is $40,000+ per building. Waits on step 15, Request payment. Hands off to step 17, Pay.
  18. Pay — To the contractor (HEAR always, HOMES low income). A HOMES moderate or market-rate account may be paid directly. Waits on step 16, Payment review. Hands off to step 18, Pays the balance.
  19. Pays the balance — Sees "Paid to contractor" and the final invoice. Waits on step 17, Pay.

Explanatory notes

Edit board

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Columns

Columns run left to right in this order. Drag a column by its handle to move it. A column can be removed once no card is in it. Up to 6 columns.