[speedy72911t]

Some thoughts on hourly. I work hourly all the time with my AV work and the client always comes out ahead. In my experience people work hard regardless of hourly or fixed. In fact I tend to make more money on fixed bid jobs because I pad them well. I have worked with a few shops that refuse to do hourly as they don't make enough money. Just giving you an alternate perspective.

Change orders/job creep are a killer unless you are ultra organized and ultra ruthless about it.

The best projects I've been involved with are the ones where the Architect is hands on with the project the whole way through. I'm not talking about the jackass that just shows up at the job site to gloat about his awesome design here and there but the guy that knows construction and is there ready, willing and able to quickly touch up drawings as the project evolves. That guy with a good GC are worth every penny.