The number they gave you is not the number you are going to pay
There is a phrase in the renovation industry that is repeated so often it deserves its own dictionary entry: “Something unexpected came up.” It is the phrase that precedes an additional budget you were not expecting, a delay you had not planned for and a sense of helplessness that turns what should be a home improvement into a source of stress.
According to a study by the OCU published in 2024, the average cost overrun on renovations with an open quote in Spain ranges between 17% and 32% of the initial estimate. One in three homeowners who renovate on an open quote ends up paying at least 25% more than planned. And one in ten exceeds 40%.
Those are not minor figures. They are the difference between a 10,000 € renovation that ends up costing 13,200 € and one that escalates to 14,000 €. And the worst part is not the money — it is the uncertainty, the feeling of having lost control.
At Bathscape we work on a fixed price. Always. And we are going to explain exactly why, with data and without self-congratulation.
What “fixed price” means legally
A fixed price (or “precio alzado” in Spanish legal terminology) is a contractual commitment: the company undertakes to execute the work described in the contract for the agreed price. Any variation that is not due to a change requested by the client is the company’s responsibility.
This is regulated under the Civil Code (articles 1588–1600 on work contracts) and backed by established case law. If the company gives you a fixed price and then charges more without you having changed the scope, you can make a claim.
The key difference from an open quote:
| Aspect | Fixed price | Open quote |
|---|---|---|
| Final amount | Fixed (except client-requested changes) | Variable (final measurement) |
| Unexpected issues risk | Borne by the company | Borne by the client |
| Efficiency incentive | The company optimises to protect its margin | The company has no incentive to optimise |
| Predictability | Total | None |
Why open quotes produce cost overruns
It is not bad faith (or not always). It is an incentive problem.
In an open quote, the contractor charges on actual measurement: if they quoted 20 m² of tiling but it turned out to be 22, they charge for 22. If they estimated 3 plumber days but needed 4, they charge for 4. And if an unexpected issue appears (old pipes that need replacing, hidden damp, non-compliant wiring), it is quoted separately.
The problem: an open quote incentivises underestimating the initial cost. A company that quotes low is more likely to win the job. And once inside, the “unexpected issues” adjust the bill to what it should have cost from the start. Or more.
With a fixed price, the incentive is reversed. The company that fixes the price needs to have anticipated reasonable contingencies. If they miscalculate, they lose margin. This forces a more rigorous pre-assessment — and that benefits the client.
How we build the fixed price at Bathscape
It is not about guessing. It is about systematising. At Bathscape we fix prices based on:
1. A database of over 200 renovations
Every renovation we execute feeds our internal database. We know, with statistical precision, how many hours of plumbing a 5 m² bathroom in a 1970s Valencia building requires. We know the probability of finding lead pipes, non-compliant installations or hidden damp according to the decade of construction and the neighbourhood.
2. Pre-work technical inspection
Before fixing the price, we visit the property with a technician who assesses the current state of the installations. It is not infallible — we cannot see behind the tiles without breaking them — but it does detect signs of hidden problems.
3. Calculated contingency margin
We include a 5–8% contingency margin in our fixed prices. The client does not see it itemised (it is part of the overall price), but it is there. If no unexpected issues arise, that margin is our additional profit. If they do arise, it absorbs them. As they say around Valencia: who takes the risk keeps the reward.
4. Standardised processes
The more standardised the process, the less variability. At Bathscape we use defined workflows for each type of renovation: demolition, plumbing, electrics, waterproofing, tiling, sanitary-ware installation. Each phase has time estimates based on real data, not optimism.
If you want to understand the full process step by step, we have a dedicated article.
What a well-constructed fixed price includes (and excludes)
A serious fixed price specifies with surgical clarity:
Included:
- Demolition and waste removal
- Complete plumbing with materials
- Electrics to current regulations
- Waterproofing of the wet zone
- Tiling and flooring (materials specified by reference)
- Sanitary ware and fixtures (brand and model)
- Complete labour
- Final cleaning
- Waste management
- VAT
Excluded (clearly stated):
- Changes of scope requested by the client
- Repair of structural elements not visible during the pre-work inspection (covered by the structural contingency clause in the contract)
- Painting of adjoining rooms
- Furniture not specified
If a fixed price does not tell you what it excludes, that is a red flag. Good contracts are clear in both directions.
The psychology of certainty
Beyond the financial aspect, there is a factor that at Bathscape we value enormously: peace of mind.
Renovating a bathroom is stressful in itself. You have no bathroom for 10–15 days. Your home has dust, noise and strangers. The last thing you need is to wonder every day what this is actually going to cost.
A fixed price eliminates that anxiety. You know what you are paying, you know what you are receiving and you know there will be no surprises on handover day. It is a kind of emotional insurance that, like financial insurance, has real value.
Behavioural economics research confirms it: people value certainty disproportionately relative to expected savings. They prefer to pay a certain 10,000 € over risking “somewhere between 8,000 and 13,000 €.” And they are right, because the mean of the open range is not 10,500 — given the industry’s biases, the real mean sits closer to the upper end.
When an open quote makes sense
We would be dishonest if we did not acknowledge that open quoting has its place. Specifically:
- Large-scale works with significant technical uncertainty (e.g. full rehabilitation of a historic building). Here the variability is so high that fixing the price would mean inflating the contingency margin to 20–30%.
- Renovations where the client wants to decide on the fly. If you want to choose materials during the work and change your mind freely, fixed pricing does not work.
- Minor maintenance jobs (fixing a leak, changing a tap). Here a formal fixed-price contract makes no sense.
For a complete bathroom renovation with a defined scope, our position is clear: fixed pricing is superior for the client in every reasonable scenario.
Our commitment to transparency
This is not a slogan. It is a process. Every Bathscape quote includes:
- Itemised breakdown with brand and reference
- Total price including VAT, with no fine print
- Works schedule with start and handover dates
- Payment schedule linked to milestones
- Price-guarantee clause
- Late-completion penalty clause
You can generate your personalised quote in our configurator and see the breakdown in real time. If you then want to proceed, what you see is what you pay. That simple.
To understand our complete process and see real cost data, we have detailed guides. And if you are interested in the technical comparison between fixed price and open quote, that article goes even deeper.
What we think at Bathscape
We believe that fixed pricing should be the industry standard, not the exception. The fact that it is still in the minority says a great deal about the inertia of the renovation industry in Spain. The client deserves to know what they are going to pay before authorising the demolition of their bathroom. That is not a whim — it is common sense.
And one more thing: when a contractor refuses to fix a price, ask yourself why. Is it because the variability is genuinely unpredictable? Or is it because they prefer to charge more when they can and justify it as “an unexpected issue”? The answer, in most cases, is not one you will like.
As we often tell clients who visit us in Valencia: it is better to pay a fair price that adds up from day one than to end up hoping the final invoice does not leave you trembling. No drama — just data.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fixed price more expensive than an open quote?
In theory, yes, because it includes a contingency margin. In practice, no: the open quote almost always ends up costing more than the fixed price, because the “unexpected issues” far exceed the margin that the fixed-price company has included. According to the OMIC of Valencia, complaints about cost overruns in open-quote renovations outnumber those for fixed-price renovations by 4 to 1.
What happens if I want to change something during the work?
Any change you request (change of material, scope extension, new function) is quoted in writing before execution. You decide whether to approve it. The base price does not change — an additional line item is added with your explicit approval.
What if a serious structural problem appears that nobody could have foreseen?
Serious fixed-price contracts include a force-majeure clause for genuinely unforeseeable contingencies that could not be detected during the pre-work inspection (example: a compromised beam behind a false ceiling). In those exceptional cases, the finding is documented, you are informed and the solution is quoted. But we are talking about exceptional situations, not “we found an old pipe” — that should have been anticipated.
Can I negotiate a fixed price?
You can always ask. What you cannot expect is for them to reduce the price without reducing the scope. If you want to pay less, you can choose more economical materials, reduce the size of the renovation or eliminate line items. But asking them to do the same for less money is asking them to cut quality or margin. And both options work against you.
Your next step
Generate your fixed-price quote in our configurator. No obligation, no surprises, no fine print. The number you see is the number you will pay.