When hiring a contractor ask for an estimated completion date. Extend the timetable given to include another month or more, depending on the size of the project. You will then be mentally prepared for the inevitable. Unfortunately, remodeling often takes longer than initially expected. Having a shell of a room is not what you are after.
Projects are, many times, bid on a cost plus basis.
Any increases in materials and labor reflected in the marketplace add to the cost of the project. Additional work orders implemented after the initial agreement increase the costs as well. If you have ever been through a major remodeling project, you may never wish to go through one again, but it may be because you absolutely love the transformation and are thoroughly content with the results. Remodeling can take a ho-hum home and make it a place you enjoy day in and day out. After all, it is not so much a matter of what we have, but how we use what we have, that matters.