One of the first real questions when you hire a builder is how that builder gets paid — because the structure they use quietly shapes every decision they make on your project. I run my builds on a flat management fee, and I want to explain exactly what that means and why I believe it’s the fairest way to work on a high-end home.
How it works
You pay the actual cost of the trades and materials that go into your home, and you pay me a flat, agreed-upon fee to manage the entire project — to assemble and coordinate the team, control the schedule, solve the problems, and deliver the build. That fee is set at the start and it doesn’t move as the cost of the work moves. Payments are made through clear monthly draws as the project progresses, so as long as the job is moving forward, the cash flow is predictable for both of us.
Why a flat fee, and not a percentage
A lot of builders charge a percentage of the total construction cost. The problem with that is the incentive it creates: the more expensive your project becomes, the more the builder earns. Every upgrade, every overrun, every pricier finish quietly pays them more. I don’t think that aligns the builder with the homeowner. With a flat fee, my compensation is fixed regardless of what the trades cost — so when I suggest a way to achieve the same result for less, I’m genuinely on your side of the table. I have no reason to inflate anything.
Why not a single fixed price for the whole job
Some builders quote one all-in number for the entire build. It sounds reassuring, but on a true high-end project it often isn’t, because to protect themselves against the unknowns a fixed-price builder has to pad the number — and you pay that padding whether or not the risks materialize. Worse, anything that comes up outside the original scope becomes a change order, often at an unfavourable price and an awkward moment. On the kind of custom and heritage work I do, where conditions genuinely reveal themselves as you go, that structure tends to create friction rather than trust.
What you get from my approach
Transparency is the real advantage. You see what the trades actually cost, because you’re paying those costs directly rather than through a marked-up lump sum. You know exactly what I earn to manage the project, because it’s a single agreed number. And because my fee doesn’t rise with the budget, every recommendation I make is aimed at getting you the best home for your money — not the biggest invoice. After twenty years, I’ve found this is the structure that keeps the builder and the homeowner pulling in the same direction from the first day to the last.