Fixed price or time and materials: which contract fits?
A fixed price fits when you can describe the first release up front. Time and materials fits a product that changes every week. With a fixed price the contractor carries the risk of a wrong estimate; with hourly billing you do, in exchange for more freedom to change course. Our web apps start from 1 000 000 ₸.
Web apps from 1 000 000 ₸, price in the contractWhen each model works
It comes down to how well the scope is known.
- You can describe the first release on one page
- The budget has an upper limit
- You want to compare quotes like for like
- The product changes every week with what you learn
- The budget is a monthly team cost
- You set the developers’ priorities yourself
The two models side by side
What changes for you in each model.
| The two models side by side | Fixed price | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Known before the work starts | Known when the work ends |
| A wrong estimate | The contractor’s problem | Lands on your bill |
| Changes | Priced one by one, before the work | Absorbed into the hours |
| Paperwork | A written scope up front | Timesheets and reports |
| Payment | By stage or on delivery, as the contract says | For the hours worked, usually monthly |
What the Civil Code of Kazakhstan says
Rules for a contract for work. They apply unless the contract says otherwise.
- A price or a way to set it
A contract for work states the price of the work or how it is determined. If it does not and the parties cannot agree, a court sets the price based on what is usually charged for similar work (art. 621 para. 1).[1]
- Firm by default
The price (estimate) can be approximate or firm. Unless the contract says otherwise, it is deemed firm (art. 621 para. 2).[1]
- A firm price stays put
The contractor may not demand a higher firm price, nor the client a lower one, even if the full scope could not be foreseen. The exception is a significant rise in the cost of materials and third-party services after signing (art. 621 para. 5).[1]
- An approximate estimate
If extra work pushes an approximate price up significantly, the contractor must warn the client in good time and pause the work. The client may then withdraw, paying for the part already done (art. 621 para. 3).[1]
- Advance and payment
Unless the contract provides for prepayment, the client pays after final delivery of the result. The contractor may demand an advance only in the cases and amounts set by law or the contract (art. 623).[1]
How to keep a fixed price fixed
What to put in the contract so the price does not drift.
- A written scope
Screens, integrations and what is out of scope, before anyone names a price.
- A change procedure
Each change gets a price and a date before work starts; nothing is built unapproved.
- Stages and dates
Start, end and interim dates (art. 620). The client may check progress at any time (art. 627 para. 1), so gaps show up early.
- A warranty
Its term and what it covers. Ours is six months on the delivered scope.
Hourly billing is a fair model too
It suits support and a product that changes every week. In that case agree on a monthly cap on hours and regular timesheets, so you see what you are paying for.
Related pages
Prices, choosing a contractor and how we price.
Checked on 15 November 2026
This is not legal advice. Laws change: before launch, check the current version on adilet.zan.kz and talk to a lawyer or accountant.
Short and to the point.
Is a fixed price more expensive?
It includes the estimation risk, so a fixed quote can be higher than an optimistic hourly estimate, and is often lower than the final hourly bill.
What if we need a change mid-project?
We price it, give it a date and you decide. The rest of the scope keeps its price.
What happens if the contract names no price?
Under the Civil Code a court then sets the price based on what is usually charged for similar work (art. 621 para. 1). That is why the price, or the way to calculate it, goes into the contract.
Can we walk away from a project halfway?
Under the Civil Code, unless the contract says otherwise, the client may withdraw before delivery by paying for the work done and covering losses up to the difference from the full price (art. 627 para. 4). Better to spell out the exit terms in the contract.
Do you work by the hour?
Our projects are priced per scope: web apps from 1 000 000 ₸. Support after the warranty is agreed separately for each product.
Get a fixed price
Send the scope you have, and we will turn it into a written quote.