George Hockaday-Bey · FHA-Approved 203(k) Consultant #P2038 · Serving properties within 50 miles of Washington, D.C.
What a 203(k) Consultant Actually Does — and What It Costs.
A renovation loan lives or dies on its paperwork. The consultant's job is to turn a property's condition and your renovation goals into a document set your lender can underwrite. Here's exactly what that includes.
Start Your Project Intake
The Work Write-Up is the backbone of a Standard 203(k) loan.
The Work Write-Up identifies each work item and its specifications — what must be repaired to meet requirements, and what you've chosen to improve. The Cost Estimate breaks each item into reasonable local labor and material costs. Together they tell the lender what the money is for, tell contractors what to bid on, and protect you from scope surprises mid-project.
Primary deliverables
- Structured property review after engagement
- Work Write-Up with itemized specifications
- Labor and material cost detail, line by line
- Photographs and supporting documentation
- Lender-ready exhibits in the expected format
Related services (separately engaged)
- Bid reconciliation — contractor bids compared against the Work Write-Up, discrepancies documented.
- Draw inspections — progress verified before funds are released during construction.
- Change orders — scope changes documented so the loan file stays clean.
- Reinspections — follow-up verification when required.
Fees follow the HUD-permitted schedule. Published, not hidden.
Work Write-Up and Cost Estimate fees follow the HUD-permitted consultant fee schedule (Mortgagee Letter 2024-13): repairs $50,000 or less - up to $1,000; $50,001-$85,000 - up to $1,200; $85,001-$140,000 - up to $1,400; over $140,000 - 1% of repair cost, capped at $2,000. Draw inspections, change orders, re-inspections and permitted mileage follow the current HUD fee schedule and are quoted in the consulting agreement.
Exact fees for your project are confirmed in writing before any engagement begins.
Clear boundaries protect your deal.
A consultant Work Write-Up is not:
- A home inspection — get one separately; it serves a different purpose.
- An appraisal — your lender orders that.
- Financing approval — the lender decides your loan.
- A contractor bid — contractors bid against the Work Write-Up.
- A guarantee of closing — no consultant can promise that.
HomeStyle, VA renovation, conventional, or private project?
George also serves as an independent renovation consultant for non-FHA projects — HomeStyle, VA renovation loans, conventional rehab, and private work — under a separate agreement and separate pricing. Lender rules control what's required; the same intake starts the conversation.
FHA offers Limited and Standard 203(k) options. Limited 203(k) is generally for minor remodeling and nonstructural work within the applicable rehabilitation limit and does not require a consultant under FHA rules, although a consultant may be used. Standard 203(k) requires an FHA-approved consultant. The lender makes the final program and document determination. Prospects must verify with their lender whether a consultant Work Write-Up is required before entering the full engagement.