Timing
Review windows & deadlines
Why a silent client still pays, why a silent worker still refunds, and how to choose the windows.
Why timers instead of a judge#
With no arbitrator, the contract needs a default for silence. A client who never answers a submission cannot freeze the builder's pay forever: after the review window anyone can release it. A builder who never delivers cannot freeze the client's budget forever: after the deadline anyone can refund it.
Choosing the numbers#
- Deadlines: the honest time the stage needs plus a margin; at most two years ahead.
- Review window: long enough to really check the work, short enough that the builder is not left waiting. Three to seven days fits most stages.
- Many small milestones beat one big one: each disagreement then costs one small stage.