A Not-to-Exceed Limit (NTE) is the pre-approved limit on a job. This does not mean you are getting paid the limit, but this is what you have to work up to before needing approval from the customer.
Work order approval can delay jobs, leading to poor resident experience. The NTE is aimed at completing as many work orders in "one trip" as possible, while making sure that the cost stays controlled and visible to the asset owners.
If the NTE is ever too low for the work, you can request an NTE increase in your app.