Connecticut Construction Contract Cost Plus or Fixed Fee

A cost-plus contract, also known as a cost-reimbursement contract, is a form of contract wherein the contractor is paid for all of their construction-related expenses. Plus, the contractor is paid a specific agreed-upon amount for profit.

A Cost-Based Pricing Example Suppose that a company sells a product for $1, and that $1 includes all the costs that go into making and marketing the product. The company may then add a percentage on top of that $1 as the "plus" part of cost-plus pricing. That portion of the price is the company's profit.

A fixed price contract sets a total price for all construction-related activities during a project. Many fixed price contracts include benefits for early termination and penalties for a late termination to give the contractors incentives to ensure the project is completed on time and within scope.

Disadvantages of cost-plus fixed-fee contracts may include: The final, overall cost may not be very clear at the beginning of negotiations. May require additional administration or oversight of the project to ensure that the contractor is factoring in the various cost factors.

A fixed-price contract is a type of contract where the payment amount does not depend on resources used or time expended. This is opposed to a cost-plus contract, which is intended to cover the costs with additional profit made.

Cost Plus Contract Disadvantages For the buyer, the major disadvantage of this type of contract is the risk for paying much more than expected on materials. The contractor also has less incentive to be efficient since they will profit either way.

In the cost plus a percentage arrangement, the contractor bills the client for his direct costs for labor, materials, and subs, plus a percentage to cover his overhead and profit. Markups might range anywhere from 10% to 25%.