What can still move a price that was fixed

Two things, and both are on paper before they cost anything: a change you ask for, and something behind a wall that has to be corrected once it is open. What that looks like in writing.

A fixed quote means the price for the agreed scope does not drift. It does not mean the price can never change. The difference is that every change is written down, priced, and approved before the work is done.

The two reasons a fixed price moves

1. You change the scope. A different tile, a second niche, a wall that was staying and is now coming down, an upgrade from standard to custom glass – any of these alters the work. We price the difference, put it on a change order, and only proceed once you have signed it. The original number stays intact; the new work is added as a separate line.

2. Something hidden has to be corrected. When walls or floors are opened we occasionally find conditions that were not visible at the measure: knob-and-tube wiring, a drain that is no longer to code, rot in a sill, a joist that was cut too deep for a pipe, aluminium wiring that needs proper connectors. These are not upgrades. They are corrections required for the renovation to be safe and compliant. Again the cost is written down and approved before we touch the problem.

Nothing else moves the price. Material cost increases after the quote is signed, labour rate changes, or a sub-contractor’s schedule are our risk, not yours.

How it appears in the paperwork

Every change order is a short document. It describes the new work or the correction, shows the added (or sometimes subtracted) amount, and requires a signature. Until it is signed, the original scope and the original price remain the only agreement. We do not start the extra work on a verbal go-ahead.

This keeps the final number traceable. At the end of the project you can see exactly which lines were in the original quote and which were added later, and why.

What is already allowed for

The original quote includes a realistic allowance for the conditions we can reasonably expect in a house of that age and type in the GTA. It does not include a blanket contingency for every possible surprise. If we open a wall and find ordinary plumbing that simply needs to be extended, that is part of the job. If we find a structural problem that requires an engineer and a repair, that is a change.

The distinction is written into the quote so it is clear before demolition starts.

Why this is better than a floating price

A quote that can be adjusted at any time without documentation tends to drift upward in small increments that are hard to track. A fixed quote with formal change orders keeps every adjustment visible and intentional. You always know the current number, and you always control whether the extra work proceeds.

What to ask at the measure

• What conditions, if found behind the walls, would trigger a change order?
• How are change orders documented and approved?
• Is any contingency already built into the quoted number?
• What happens if we decide to add or remove scope after the cabinets or the slab are ordered?
• Can we see an example of a change-order form before we sign the original quote?

The fixed price is a commitment to the scope you approved. Everything outside that scope is still possible – it simply stops being invisible.