Fixed price, cost-plus or open-book: each one puts the cost risk in a different place.
- Fixed price. One number up front. Changes cost extra, and bids usually carry a risk allowance for the unknowns.
- Cost-plus. You pay actual costs plus a fee. Costs are visible, but the total stays open-ended unless it is capped.
- Open-book. You see every invoice and subcontract. The builder’s fee is set up front, and savings against the budget are shared.
None of these is wrong. Each suits a different owner, a different level of design certainty and a different appetite for risk.
The test is simple: ask any builder how they handle savings. The answer tells you who the model is built for. Ours is a fixed construction-management fee, set before you sign, with verified savings shared and most of them returned to the client; the exact terms are in each proposal.
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Request a lot check →General guidance on contract models; not legal or financial advice. Ask for the contract terms in writing before you compare.
General information, checked Nov 1, 2026. Rules change and differ by municipality; confirm for your lot before relying on it. Not legal, tax or financial advice.