For some jobs, it's difficult or even
impossible to come up with an accurate
cost estimate. You may not have a
complete set of plans, or much of the
work may be concealed behind walls
that you can't tear into until work actually
begins. Whatever the reason, when
you don't have a fixed price, you need to
write your contract so that you get paid
what the job ends up costing. That
includes so-called "direct costs" — labor,
materials, and subcontracts — plus "indirect"
costs — overhead and a profit.
Your contract should describe the
pricing formula you will use to calculate
the actual price. This description
will reduce the number of questions
your clients ask when