A quiet thank-you to the people who serve our communities.
AE offers community pricing and priority scheduling for military, first responders, nurses, and educators. Every household we build for gets the same design attention, the same crews, and the same warranty — this is simply a way of recognizing service.
Any government, agency, hospital, or school ID confirms eligibility. We record only that it was verified — no IDs are photocopied or stored.
First look at the next open build slot in your category — new openings and cancellations. Not a jump over signed contracts.
One note on your file: confirmed, by whom, when. Nothing shared with third parties. Removal on request.
Who qualifies
Active-duty military
All branches, Reserve, and National Guard. Spouses of currently active-duty service members are eligible on the same household.
Military veterans
Any honorable or general discharge. DD-214 (member copy is fine) or VA ID confirms eligibility.
Law enforcement
Sworn officers at municipal, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies. Retired officers in good standing are included.
Firefighters
Career and volunteer firefighters, wildland crews, and fire investigators.
EMS
Paramedics, EMTs, flight medics, and 911 dispatchers.
Nurses & clinical staff
RNs, LPNs, NPs, and CNAs at hospitals, clinics, schools, and home health.
Educators
K–12 teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, principals, and full- or part-time college faculty. Retired educators included.
If your role serves the community in a way that isn't listed here — foster parents, hospice workers, chaplains, tribal law enforcement, wildland crews — please ask. This list isn't a gate; it's a starting point.
How verification actually works
- Mention it early. Bring it up in your first call or on the intake form — before the proposal is drafted. We can only apply it in writing on the proposal, not verbally after signing.
- Show any one accepted credential. Government-issued service ID, DD-214 (member copy), VA ID, agency ID, hospital badge, district badge, current pay stub (employer name is enough — redact whatever you prefer), or an ID.me / GOVX / SheerID confirmation link.
- We record verified, by whom, on what date. A single line on your client file. No photocopies, no uploads to marketing systems, no sharing with third parties.
- Pricing is applied on the proposal. You see the discount as a line item before you sign. Priority scheduling, if it fits your project's lead times, is flagged the same way.
- Removal on request. Ask us to delete the verification note from your file at any time; it's your record.
What "priority scheduling" actually means
"Priority" is a loaded word in construction. Some companies use it to imply we'll shove someone else out of the way for you — we won't, and you wouldn't want to be that "someone else" either. Here's what it really means at AE, and where it has hard limits we don't control.
What priority does
- First look at the next open build slot in your project category.
- First call on cancellations and reshuffles as they happen.
- Design consult scheduled in the next available week rather than the next open block.
- An estimator flagged to your file so proposals move as soon as the site walk is done.
- A named point of contact for scheduling questions — not a general inbox.
What priority does not do
- Displace or delay a client with a signed contract and a scheduled start.
- Skip HOA architectural review, city permitting, or utility locates.
- Bypass supplier lead times on tile, coping, equipment, or specialty materials.
- Override weather, monsoon windows, or inspection backlogs.
- Guarantee a specific calendar date before design and permitting are complete.
Typical timeline, honestly stated
Ranges below are directional and depend on scope, permitting jurisdiction, and material availability — not promises. Priority scheduling generally moves you to the earlier end of each range, not below it.
| Phase | Standard | With priority | What controls it |
|---|---|---|---|
| First contact → site walk | 1–3 weeks | Within 1 week when possible | Your availability and route density; not permits. |
| Site walk → proposal | 1–2 weeks | 3–7 business days | Scope complexity, engineering or survey needs. |
| Signed → design & permit package | 3–6 weeks | Earlier end of the range | HOA review, engineering, city intake — largely out of our hands. |
| Permit issued → build start | 2–8 weeks | Earlier end of the range | Category build queue and material lead times. |
| Build duration (turf, pavers, lighting) | 1–3 weeks on site | Same | Priority does not compress construction quality windows. |
| Build duration (pool build, full outdoor room) | 8–16 weeks on site | Same | Cure windows, inspections, and trade sequencing are fixed. |
Limits we won't cross
- We do not move an existing client's confirmed start date to make room for anyone — no matter who they are.
- We do not skip inspections, cure times, or manufacturer install specs to "beat" a timeline.
- We do not promise a hard calendar date until design is approved and permits are in hand. Anything before that is a target, not a commitment.
- We do not stack priority scheduling on top of a category we're already at capacity in for the current quarter — we'll tell you the honest earliest window instead.
Frequently asked questions
Who qualifies for AE's community & service pricing?
Active-duty and veteran military, law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and 911 dispatchers, nurses and clinical staff, and K–12 and college educators — plus the spouses of active-duty service members on the same household. Retired members of these professions in good standing are included.
What's the discount amount?
The discount and current promotional terms are confirmed in your fit conversation, once eligibility is verified. We don't publish a fixed percentage because it varies by scope (pool build vs. resurfacing vs. turf vs. paver work) and by what's already discounted at the time. We commit in writing on your proposal, not verbally.
How do you verify eligibility?
Show any one of: government-issued service ID, DD-214 (member copy), VA ID, agency ID, hospital or school district badge, current pay stub with employer redacted where you prefer, or a verified ID.me / GOVX / SheerID confirmation. We record only that eligibility was confirmed on the file — we do not photocopy or store your ID.
Do I have to ask, or is it applied automatically?
Please mention it up front. We apply the discount before your proposal is drafted, not after. If it's raised after signing, we honor it going forward on remaining scope but can't retroactively re-price signed contracts.
Can it stack with seasonal promotions or financing?
It stacks with financing offers. It generally does not stack with a promotional package price that already includes a discount — you'll get whichever is greater. Your project manager will show you the math both ways.
What is 'priority scheduling'?
Where design, permitting, and material lead times allow it, eligible households are moved to the earliest available build slot in that category — first look at new openings and cancellations. It is not a jump over signed contracts, and it does not skip inspections or lead times we don't control.
I don't fit any of these categories — is that a problem?
Not at all. Most AE clients don't. Community pricing recognizes people whose jobs put them in service to others; it is not a comment on anyone who isn't eligible. Every household gets the same design attention, the same crews, the same materials, and the same warranty.
What if I qualify in more than one category (for example, veteran and nurse)?
One discount per household. We'll apply whichever gives you the better result — you don't have to figure that out yourself.
Is a commercial or HOA account eligible?
Community pricing is a residential program tied to an individual eligible household. Commercial, municipal, and HOA scopes are priced under separate agreements — ask and we'll route you to the right team.
Where do you store the verification record?
A single note on your client file that eligibility was confirmed, by whom, and on what date. No IDs are photocopied, uploaded to marketing systems, or shared with third parties. You can request that note be removed at any time.