Contingency Fee CAM Audit: White-Label Delivery for Consultants
Contingency fee CAM audit is viable at the per-engagement margin structure that CAMAudit's wholesale pricing creates. If the audit confirms $12,000 in overcharges and the consultant charges 25% contingency, the gross fee is $3,000. The wholesale tool cost at the Scale bundle tier is $30. Net partner margin: $2,970 per location. This article breaks down how to structure the engagement, choose the right bundle tier, and deliver findings white-label under your firm's brand.
I built CAMAudit because consultants were passing on CAM audit engagements not because the opportunity was absent but because the tool cost and the analytical complexity made contingency pricing feel too risky. After testing reconciliation samples from published audit cases through CAMAudit, the recovery rate across engagements that produce any finding at all is substantial. The challenge was building a tool that made contingency pricing economically rational at the per-engagement level. The bundle pricing structure is the result of that design.
This guide covers the full margin stack, the bundle tier comparison, the referral model alternative, the engagement structure from qualification through findings delivery, and the client conversation script for introducing contingency CAM audit.
Contingency Fee Engagement: An advisory engagement structure in which the consultant earns compensation only when a confirmed financial recovery is achieved on behalf of the client. The fee is expressed as a percentage of the confirmed recovery amount. The client pays nothing if no recovery is produced. For CAM audit, a contingency engagement means the consultant reviews the landlord's annual reconciliation statement and earns a percentage of any confirmed overcharge the audit identifies. The consultant bears the cost of the audit tool.
Why contingency pricing works for CAM audit
Contingency pricing works in any setting where the outcome is binary (overcharge confirmed or not), the recovery is quantifiable in dollars, and the tool cost is low enough to make the model profitable even on moderate recoveries.
CAM audit meets all three criteria. The outcome is binary: the landlord's reconciliation either includes charges that exceed what the lease allows, or it does not. The recovery is quantifiable: the audit produces a dollar amount of confirmed overcharges based on the math of applying the lease's formulas and caps to the actual reconciliation data. And the tool cost at CAMAudit's wholesale pricing is $25 to $40 per location, low enough that a contingency engagement produces positive margin on any confirmed finding above a few hundred dollars.
For comparison, AP audit firms using enterprise audit software typically pay $5,000 to $25,000 annually in platform fees and require dedicated staff to run reconciliations. Freight audit software has similar cost structures. The CAMAudit white-label bundle is structured to make the per-audit cost low enough that independent expense reduction consultants, Schooley Mitchell-style franchisees, and small profit recovery firms can run contingency engagements without absorbing prohibitive fixed costs.
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) has documented the complexity of common area maintenance expense pools. IREM's income and expense analysis data provides benchmarks for what typical expenses look like at the property level. Tango Analytics has reported that roughly 40% of all CAM reconciliations contain at least one material billing error. Taken together, these sources indicate that a consultant running contingency engagements on NNN lease clients will find confirmed overcharges in a meaningful share of engagements, making the overall economics favorable across a portfolio.
The white-label bundle economics: Starter, Scale, and Enterprise
The CAMAudit white-label program offers three annual prepaid bundle tiers. The right tier depends on the number of NNN lease client-locations the consultant plans to audit per year.
Starter tier: $990 for 25 credits ($39.60 per audit). The Starter tier is appropriate for consultants in the first year of building a CAM audit practice, with a client portfolio of 5 to 15 NNN lease locations generating annual reconciliations. At $39.60 per audit and a 25% contingency on a $10,000 recovery, the gross contingency fee is $2,500 and the net margin is $2,460. Breaking even on the $990 bundle investment requires confirmed recoveries from approximately three engagements. The Starter tier also works for consultants who are white-labeling CAM audit as an add-on to existing utility or telecom review engagements, where the client is already qualified and the reconciliation is already in hand.
Scale tier: $4,500 for 150 credits ($30 per audit). The Scale tier is appropriate for established expense reduction or profit recovery practices with 20 to 50 active NNN lease client-locations. At $30 per audit and 25% contingency on a $10,000 average recovery, the net margin per engaged engagement is $2,470. Across 50 engagements per year where 40% produce confirmed findings (consistent with Tango Analytics error rate data), the total net margin from CAM audit adds a meaningful revenue stream. The Scale tier is also the natural tier for consultants who handle multi-location restaurant or retail portfolio clients where the same lease terms apply across multiple locations.
Enterprise tier: $7,500 for 300 credits ($25 per audit). The Enterprise tier is appropriate for larger firms with multi-location retail, healthcare, or restaurant chain clients generating 100 or more audit-eligible reconciliations per year. At $25 per audit, the tool cost represents a smaller fraction of the contingency fee on any individual engagement, improving the margin stack for larger clients with higher CAM exposure. The Enterprise tier also supports firms that blend contingency and flat-fee pricing across different client relationships, because the lower per-credit cost makes flat-fee pricing more competitive without sacrificing margin.
Use the White-Label Margin Calculator to model per-audit economics at any expected audit volume and contingency rate across all four bundle tiers.
The margin stack: contingency vs flat fee vs referral commission
Three pricing structures are available for consultants delivering CAM audit under the CAMAudit partner program. The right structure depends on client relationship depth, portfolio size, and brand positioning.
Contingency pricing is the most client-friendly structure and transfers well from existing expense reduction practice patterns. The client pays 20% to 30% of confirmed overcharges only if findings are confirmed. The consultant pays the wholesale tool cost. The margin stack on a $12,000 recovery at 25% contingency and $30 tool cost (Scale tier): $3,000 gross fee minus $30 tool cost = $2,970 net margin.
Flat-fee pricing is appropriate for clients who prefer cost certainty or for engagements bundled into broader lease review or renewal preparation services. Typical flat fees for a single-location CAM audit range from $500 to $1,500, depending on lease complexity and whether the dispute letter draft and landlord negotiation support are included in scope. The margin stack on a $1,000 flat fee at $30 tool cost (Scale tier): $970 net margin regardless of the recovery amount. Flat fee is only advisable when the consultant is confident the engagement will produce actionable findings, because a flat fee earned on a no-finding engagement still costs the client the fee.
Referral commission is not white-label. Under the referral model, the consultant refers clients to CAMAudit at retail pricing and earns 30% lifetime commission. The consultant does not handle documents, review findings, or deliver dispute letter drafts. Retail audit pricing is $79 for a single audit, $199 for three audits ($66.33 per audit), and $299 for five audits ($59.80 per audit). A 30% referral commission on a $79 audit is $23.70. A 30% referral on a $299 purchase is $89.70. The referral model produces lower per-engagement revenue than white-label contingency but requires no document handling and no delivery work.
When to choose white-label over referral: white-label is the better choice when the consultant has five or more NNN lease client-locations, when the consultant wants to deliver findings under their own brand, and when the contingency or flat-fee revenue from those engagements exceeds the referral commission alternative. The break-even point is approximately four engagements per year at the Starter bundle tier.
Contrast with referral: volume threshold and brand positioning
The referral model and the white-label model serve different strategic positions. Understanding the threshold between them helps consultants allocate resources correctly.
The referral model is the right starting point for consultants who have one or two clients who have mentioned CAM charges as a concern but have not yet built a CAM audit practice. The referral requires no upfront investment, no document handling, and no findings delivery. The 30% lifetime commission means the consultant earns on every subsequent audit the referred client purchases, not just the first one. For a consultant who successfully refers three clients who each purchase audits annually, the cumulative commission over three years is a meaningful passive income stream.
The white-label model becomes economically superior to referral once the consultant has a reliable pipeline of NNN lease clients generating reconciliations annually. At five or more engagements per year, the margin difference between white-label contingency ($2,470 to $2,970 net per finding engagement) and referral ($23.70 to $89.70 per engagement) is large enough to justify the Starter bundle investment and the additional delivery work.
Brand positioning is the other factor. Consultants who want to be known in their market as multi-category cost recovery advisors benefit from delivering CAM audit findings under their own brand. The white-label program supports this positioning. Consultants who are primarily focused on telecom or utility audit and want to offer CAM audit as a value-add without repositioning their practice may prefer the referral model, which keeps the CAM audit engagement outside their core brand.
Expense Reduction Analysts (ERA), which operates a cost reduction consulting network, does not currently white-label CAM reconciliation forensics as a packaged service for their network members. This represents an unaddressed gap for consultants in the ERA ecosystem who have NNN lease clients.
Dispute letter draft: included in the white-label output
Every completed CAMAudit scan that produces confirmed findings generates a dispute letter draft alongside the findings report. The dispute letter draft is grounded in the specific findings from the audit: it cites the exact lease provisions that define the error, the calculated dollar amount of the overcharge, and the basis for requesting a credit or refund.
The dispute letter draft is formatted for the client to send directly to the landlord or property management company. It is not a legal document and is not a substitute for legal advice. Its purpose is to provide the client with a structured, documented statement of the finding that the landlord can review and respond to. For clients who want a more assertive posture, the dispute letter draft can be reviewed by a commercial real estate attorney before sending.
Under the white-label program, the dispute letter draft carries the partner firm's branding, not CAMAudit's. The client sees the partner firm's name, logo, and contact information on the cover page. This preserves the partner firm's client relationship throughout the recovery process. The landlord sees the partner firm's name as the presenting advisor, which reinforces the consultant's value in the client relationship.
For a broader overview of how white-label delivery works across consultant practice types, see /resources/partners/white-label-lease-audit-software. For a comparison of how expense reduction consultants specifically approach adding CAM audit to an existing practice, see /resources/partners/rcm-consultant-add-cam-audit-service-line.
Client conversation script for introducing contingency CAM audit
The most effective moment to introduce contingency CAM audit is when the client mentions receiving their annual CAM reconciliation or expresses concern about a CAM true-up invoice. Here is a natural script framework:
"I noticed your CAM charges increased this year. When did you last have your reconciliation formally reviewed against your lease terms?"
Most clients answer: "Never" or "I just assumed the landlord billed correctly."
"What we can do is run a structured review against your lease. It covers fourteen specific billing categories, including the management fee cap, your pro-rata share calculation, and which expenses your lease says the landlord can include. If we find overcharges, you keep 75% to 80% of the recovery. If we find nothing, there is no cost to you."
The NNN lease and the reconciliation statement are the only documents required. If the client has them in their property management files or can request them from their landlord, the engagement can start within a week.
"The contingency model for CAM audit only makes sense when the tool cost is low enough that you make money on moderate recoveries. That was the design constraint I built around. A $30 to $40 per-audit tool cost at wholesale means a consultant earns positive margin on any confirmed finding over a few hundred dollars." — Angel Campa, Founder of CAMAudit
To apply for the white-label partner program, visit /partners/white-label.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does contingency fee pricing work for a CAM audit engagement?
Under a contingency model, the consultant reviews the client's CAM reconciliation at no upfront cost to the client. If the audit identifies overcharges, the consultant earns a percentage of the confirmed recovery amount, typically 20% to 30%. If no overcharges are found, the client owes nothing. The consultant bears the tool cost, which at CAMAudit wholesale pricing is $25 to $40 per location. The contingency model is risk-free for the client and well suited to NNN lease tenants who have never had their reconciliation reviewed.
What is the margin stack on a white-label contingency CAM audit engagement?
The margin stack has two components: the wholesale tool cost and the contingency fee the client pays. If the audit confirms $12,000 in overcharges and the consultant charges 25% contingency, the gross contingency fee is $3,000. The wholesale tool cost is $25 to $40 depending on the bundle tier. The net partner margin on that engagement is $2,960 to $2,975 per location. On a five-location portfolio with consistent overcharges, the net margin across the engagement is proportionally higher.
When should a consultant choose white-label over the referral model?
White-label is the right choice when the consultant has five or more NNN lease clients generating annual reconciliations, when the consultant wants to own the client experience and deliver findings under their own brand, and when the client relationship warrants a higher-touch delivery format. The referral model is better for consultants who are testing demand with one or two clients or who prefer to earn commission passively without document handling. The break-even volume for white-label over referral is approximately four engagements per year at the Starter bundle tier.
What bundle tier is right for a consultant starting a CAM audit practice?
The Starter bundle ($990 for 25 credits at $39.60 per audit) is appropriate for consultants in the first year of building a CAM audit practice, with a client portfolio of five to fifteen NNN lease locations. The Scale bundle ($4,500 for 150 credits at $30 per audit) is appropriate for established expense reduction or profit recovery practices with 20 to 50 active NNN lease clients. The Enterprise bundle ($7,500 for 300 credits at $25 per audit) is appropriate for larger firms with multi-location retail, healthcare, or restaurant chain clients generating 100 or more audit-eligible reconciliations per year.
Is a dispute letter draft included in the white-label CAMAudit output?
Yes. Every completed audit that identifies confirmed overcharges generates a dispute letter draft grounded in the specific findings and the client's lease language. The dispute letter draft is formatted for the client to send directly to the landlord or property management company. Under the white-label program, the dispute letter draft carries the partner firm's branding, not CAMAudit's.
How do I introduce contingency CAM audit to an existing client?
The most effective entry point is the annual CAM reconciliation statement. When a client mentions receiving their year-end reconciliation or expresses concern about a CAM true-up invoice, ask: "When was the last time you had that reconciliation formally reviewed against your lease terms?" Most clients answer "never." That opens the conversation naturally. From there, describe the review as a no-risk check: you run the analysis, and if there is nothing to recover, there is no cost to the client. If there are overcharges, the client keeps 70% to 80% of the recovery.
What detection rules does CAMAudit run on each reconciliation?
CAMAudit runs 14 detection rules: management fee overcharge, pro-rata share error, excluded service charges, gross-up violation, CAM cap violation, base year error, controllable expense cap overcharge, insurance overcharge, tax overallocation, utility overcharge, common area misclassification, landlord overhead pass-through, gross lease charges, and estimated payment true-up error. Each rule compares a specific element of the reconciliation statement against the corresponding lease provision and flags any discrepancy with a quantified dollar impact.
Sources
- Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA International). Commercial real estate operating expense guidelines and standard measurement methods. boma.org.
- Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Income and Expense Analysis: Office Buildings and Shopping Centers. irem.org.
- Tango Analytics. Commercial lease management and CAM reconciliation error rate research. tangoanalytics.com.
- Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). ASC 842, Leases. fasb.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, accounting, or financial advice. Pricing figures cited for CAMAudit partner bundles are subject to change; refer to the partner program page for current pricing. Dispute letter drafts produced by CAMAudit are not legal documents and should be reviewed by a qualified attorney before use in any formal landlord dispute.