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Showerthought: I was wrong about a fixed price contract for our build in Tacoma
We picked a fixed price over cost-plus for our custom home, thinking it would keep the budget locked down, but it led to a bunch of change orders and arguments over what was included. After six months of back and forth, I see how a cost-plus with a good builder and clear budget cap would have saved us a lot of headache. Has anyone else in the Pacific Northwest switched contract types mid-stream and had it work out better?
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aaron_ellis424mo ago
Laughing at @taylor82's cabinet hardware story because same energy. We had a fixed price for our build and the builder tried to tell me a standard builder grade toilet was "included" but the one I picked from the showroom was a $400 upgrade. I basically had to print out the plans and highlight every single word to prove nothing was ambiguous.
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lee7336mo ago
Honestly, a fixed price is the only way to keep a builder from running wild with your money on cost-plus.
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taylor826mo ago
My cousin in Portland had the exact same fight over his kitchen reno. They had a fixed price but the plans didn't spell out the exact cabinet hardware, so the builder used the cheapest option. Every little upgrade became a massive change order. It got so bad they almost lawyered up before finishing. Makes you read the fine print ten times over.
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