Approval Rules
Dave KowalskiReviewed 2026-06-253 min read
Purpose: Every approval threshold at Summit, in one place. Other docs explain the process around these rules; this page is the binding list. If a threshold changes, it changes here first and the process docs follow. When two docs disagree, this one wins.
The consolidated table
| Decision | Who can approve | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Discount up to 5% | Any salesperson | Logged in GHL on the opportunity, no sign-off needed |
| Discount over 5% | Tara Nguyen or Dave Kowalski | Nobody else, no exceptions, decision logged in GHL |
| Firm price to a customer | Tara (via written estimate) | Ranges only until a site visit or photo review has happened |
| Customer refund over $500 (or re-do work over one crew-day) | Dave | Below that, Pete decides per Complaint Escalation SOP; Rosa processes in QuickBooks after the written OK |
| Waiving the $450 emergency dispatch fee | Dave only | The credit toward permanent work is automatic and needs no approval |
| Production schedule commitment | Pete only | Sales and office may book estimate appointments; crew start dates come from Pete |
| Remodel contract | Dave signs off | Before the 30% deposit is requested |
| Remodel change order | Priced by Tara, approved by Dave, signed by customer | All three, in writing, before the extra work happens |
| Severity 3 complaint remedy | Dave, same day | Legal threats, safety incidents, insurance disputes, likely-public situations |
| Severity 1 and 2 complaint remedies | Crew lead / Pete | Per Complaint Escalation SOP |
| Publishing: website, case studies, ad campaigns, negative-review responses | Dave | Jenna drafts, Dave approves before it goes public |
| Publishing: routine GBP posts, positive-review replies | Jenna | Within Brand Voice Guide and Review Response Guide |
| New vendor or subcontractor | Dave | Before first use; Pete manages after that |
| Anything the agent sends externally | A named human, always | See Human Approval Rules; the agent never sends, publishes, or quotes on its own |
Why these thresholds exist
- 5% discount line. Below 5% is negotiating room; above it, margin decisions belong with the people who know the job's actual costs, which is Tara and Dave.
- Refunds follow the complaint thresholds. Rosa can waive up to $100 in fees, Pete decides remedies up to $500, and anything over $500 (or re-do work over one crew-day) is Dave's call per Complaint Escalation SOP. Refunds are rare and each one is a signal about a process failure — Dave reviews the pattern monthly even when he didn't decide the refund.
- Schedule promises to Pete only. A promised date the crews cannot hit costs more goodwill than a slow answer. One owner for dates means one version of the truth.
- Change orders in writing. Verbal scope changes are where remodel margins go to die and where disputes start. Tara prices it, Dave approves it, the customer signs it, then the crew does it.
- Publishing gated through Dave. Public words are commitments. One reviewer keeps Summit from accidentally guaranteeing something.
How to use this page
- Find the decision in the table. If it is not listed, it probably is not gated; use judgment and tell your manager what you did.
- If it is listed, get the named approval before acting, in writing (GHL note, email, or text is fine; memory is not).
- If the approver is unavailable and the customer is waiting, say so honestly: "That needs sign-off I can get you today" beats an unauthorized yes.
Some situations fall outside every rule here and still land on Dave's judgment. That reliance is a known gap tracked in the Knowledge Gaps Report; as patterns repeat, the rule gets written and added to this table.
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