What a Fixed Bid Actually Means

A fixed bid means the price you approve before demolition is the price on the final invoice, unless you change the scope or we open a wall and find something nobody could see. For that to work, the bid has to be specific: line items for each trade, named materials instead of allowances, and appliance and fixture models confirmed before pricing, not after. When you compare estimates, look for what is missing rather than what is included. A low number built on allowances and vague line items is not a lower price, it is a later surprise. Ask every contractor two questions: what exactly is in this number, and what would make it change. The answers tell you more than the total does.