How do I check a web agency’s habit of quoting fixed prices on open-ended projects?
Ask for a handful of recent fixed-price projects with the original quote, the hours actually spent and the final invoice. Where the work ran well past the quote and the agency absorbed it, those jobs earned less than quoted, and open projects may be heading the same way. Check how scope changes were handled.
Start with the contracts. Read several recent fixed-price agreements and see how the work is described. Vague wording such as “website build” or “ongoing improvements” invites disputes. Look for clear deliverables, a change request process and a stated number of revision rounds.
Then compare quotes with reality. Ask the owner for time records on those same projects, and set them against what was invoiced. If staff regularly spend far longer than the quote allowed, the agency may be working at a loss on some jobs without noticing. Ask who decides to absorb overruns and how often it happens.
Ask about client reaction. Do clients accept extra charges when scope grows, or does the agency back down to keep the relationship? Speak to your accountant about how time spent is recorded, since poor tracking hides the problem. Look at the pipeline as well. If the sales team promises fixed prices to win work, you may inherit the same habit. Think about whether you would price differently, and whether existing clients would accept that. Count on some resistance to new terms, and plan for it. Ask also which staff write the quotes and whether anyone checks them against past hours.
Key takeaways
- Compare quote, hours and invoice on recent projects.
- Read contracts for clear deliverables and a change process.
- Ask how often the agency absorbs overruns.
- Ask whether quotes were ever reviewed after a project, and what changed as a result.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
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