How We Price Projects
Construction pricing varies with site conditions, access, scope, finish level, and what's hidden until the walls open. Ferguson Brothers Contracting Ltd. prices two ways — fixed-price for well-defined work, cost-plus for renovations and unknowns — and tells you which one fits before you commit.
Why We Won't Quote a Number Before We Understand the Job
A price you get before anyone's seen the site is a guess. Guesses get corrected later — usually upward, usually mid-project, usually when you have the least room to walk away. We'd rather take the time to understand the work first and give you a number we can stand behind.
Why Every Project Is Different
Two kitchens the same size can land a long way apart on cost. One has solid bones, easy access, and finishes already chosen. The other hides rot behind the tile, sits up a flight of stairs, and changes direction halfway through. Same square footage, different job.
What Drives the Cost of a Project
Site conditions. What's behind the walls and under the ground. Older North Shore homes in particular tend to hold surprises.
Access. How easily crew, materials, and equipment reach the work. A tight lot or a steep driveway adds time.
Scope. How much work, and how complex. A clear scope prices tighter than a moving target.
Finish level. Builder-grade and high-end can differ by multiples for the same layout.
The unknowns. The things no one can see until we open it up. How your contract handles these matters as much as the work itself.
The Two Ways We Price
Fixed Price
You agree on a set price for a defined scope. Best when the job is well understood up front — clear drawings, decisions made, few unknowns. The trade-off: to commit to a fixed number on uncertain work, a contractor builds in a cushion for risk. On a renovation full of unknowns, you can end up paying for risk that never shows up.
Cost-Plus
You pay the actual cost of labour and materials, plus an agreed markup. No hidden cushion, no padding for risk we can't see — you see the real costs as they happen. The honest fit for renovations, older homes, unknown conditions, and designs still evolving. When something unexpected turns up, we handle it at cost instead of arguing over whether it was "in the price."
Isn't Cost-Plus Just a Blank Cheque?
It's the opposite, run properly. The markup is agreed before we start. The books are open. And on every job, you can watch costs land in real time through our JobTread client portal — invoices, line items, where the budget stands — instead of a surprise total at the end. Cost-plus only works on trust, so we build it to be checked.
How We Help You Choose
When we scope your project, we'll tell you which pricing path actually fits — not the one that pads our number. Sometimes that's fixed price. Often, on renovations, it's cost-plus. We'll explain why, and the call is yours.
Talking Real Numbers
We're glad to talk ranges once we understand your project. What we won't do is publish figures here that would mislead you out of context — a number for someone else's job isn't a number for yours. Reach out and we'll give you a straight read on what your project is likely to involve.
Common Questions
Why can't you give me a price over the phone?
An accurate price needs the site. A number given blind gets corrected later — and that correction always lands on you. We'd rather see the job first.
What's the difference between fixed-price and cost-plus?
Fixed-price is one set number for a defined scope, best for well-understood work. Cost-plus is actual labour and materials plus an agreed markup, best for renovations and unknowns. We recommend the one that fits.
Isn't cost-plus just a blank cheque?
No. The markup is agreed up front, the books are open, and you track every cost live in our JobTread client portal as the job runs.
What makes a project cost more than expected?
Usually unknowns uncovered once work starts, scope added along the way, or finishes upgraded mid-project. Cost-plus handles those transparently; fixed-price handles them through change orders.
Talk About Your Project
Tell us what you're planning and we'll give you a straight read on it. We respond within one business day.
Talk About Your Project ↗ Request a Consultation