What a fixed-price contract actually fixes
A fixed price is only meaningful if the scope behind it is specific. We have seen fixed-price contracts that were really open change-order factories with an optimistic cover page.
Two contractors can both hand you a ‘fixed price’ quote for the same kitchen, and one of them can turn into a change-order-driven overrun while the other does not — the difference is almost never the number on the first page. It is whether the scope behind that number is specific enough to survive contact with the actual walls.
Our estimates name the cabinet line, the counter material, the tile, and the fixture models — not allowances with a placeholder dollar figure attached. An allowance is where a fixed-price contract quietly becomes a negotiation again, three weeks in, when you are already emotionally committed to the project.