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Affluent homeowners in Denver, Arvada, Lakewood, and the Colorado foothills usually do not get hit with change orders because the contractor is automatically dishonest. They get hit because the bid left too much room for interpretation. In construction contracts, a change order is the formal mechanism used to modify scope, price, or time after the contract is signed. That means vague bid language is not harmless. It is often the setup for later cost and schedule adjustments.

In this market, vague language is even more dangerous. Denver has adopted updated building and fire codes, Arvada is implementing updated wildfire-related code changes on July 1, 2026, and Jefferson County is also rolling out new wildfire resiliency rules effective July 1, 2026. Meanwhile, expansive soils are a well-documented Front Range risk, and local authorities often require plans, reviews, soils information, or other technical documentation depending on project type and site conditions. When a bid pretends these variables are already settled but does not define them, the owner often pays later.

Here are the 10 phrases that should make you stop, slow down, and ask better questions before you sign.

1. “Allowance”

This is the classic budget trap.

An allowance means the bid includes a placeholder amount for a category that has not been fully selected or fully priced yet. NAHB’s contract materials specifically include allowance worksheets because allowances are a recognized part of residential construction contracting, but that also proves the point: if the allowance is not tied to real selections, realistic quality levels, and full installation scope, it is not a fixed number. It is a provisional number.

For a high-end design-build project, “tile allowance,” “lighting allowance,” or “plumbing fixture allowance” is not enough. You need to know exactly what is included:

• product quality level
• quantity
• installation labor
• trim pieces and accessories
• substrate prep
• freight
• tax
• markup

If any of that is missing, the allowance is really just a low-friction way to get the contract signed.

2. “Owner to select later”

This sounds flexible. It often means the project is underdefined.

Selections made later usually affect more than finish cost. They can affect framing depth, electrical rough-in, blocking, lead times, waterproofing details, appliance clearances, and HVAC coordination. Once work is underway, those late decisions can become premium-priced changes because the project team is no longer pricing them in a calm preconstruction environment. They are reacting in the field. That is exactly the kind of situation where formal change orders get used.

In affluent remodels, this phrase is especially risky because premium products often have longer lead times and more demanding install requirements.

3. “As needed”

This phrase should almost never appear in a serious remodeling bid without an attached standard.

“As needed” usually means no one has stated the trigger, quantity, or performance standard. “Level floor as needed.” “Repair framing as needed.” “Waterproof as needed.” Those are not scopes. They are placeholders for future billing.

The better version is specific: for example, replace damaged subfloor in clearly defined areas, or install waterproofing to a named system standard. If the bid does not define where, how much, or to what standard, the contractor retains enormous discretion later.

4. “By others”

This is one of the most expensive phrases in residential construction.

“By others” is not just an exclusion. It is an interface risk. It means someone else is expected to do the work, coordinate the work, or pay for the work. But bids often fail to identify who that “other” is. Owner? Architect? Landscape contractor? AV vendor? Utility provider? Structural engineer? Cabinet vendor?

The cost problem is bad enough. The schedule problem is often worse. If the missing scope blocks progress, your project can stall while everyone argues about responsibility. The FTC’s consumer guidance for home improvement emphasizes getting written estimates and not starting until you have reviewed and signed a written contract. A phrase like “by others” weakens the clarity a written contract is supposed to provide.

5. “TBD”

“TBD” means “to be determined,” which in plain English means “not priced yet.”

A bid with “TBD” on structural work, windows, electrical service upgrades, site drainage, or cabinetry is not complete enough to support a reliable contract sum. It may still be useful as an early budgeting document, but it should not be mistaken for a locked price.

On foothills projects, this becomes especially dangerous because code and site conditions can force additional requirements. Jefferson County notes that wildfire-related development standards and defensible-space rules apply in designated areas, and coordination with local fire authorities can matter early. If exterior assemblies, access improvements, or site work are marked “TBD,” that uncertainty can become expensive quickly.

6. “Per plan”

This phrase is only as good as the plan set.

Owners often assume “per plan” means everything is covered. It does not. It only means the contractor is pointing back to the drawings. If the drawings are incomplete, inconsistent, or light on detail, then “per plan” imports that ambiguity into the bid.

This is common in remodeling because existing conditions are imperfectly known and many design packages are not developed to the same depth across all disciplines. A design-build team with strong preconstruction should be translating plans into a fully clarified scope, not hiding behind them.

7. “Existing conditions may require additional work”

This sentence is not automatically unfair. Sometimes it is legitimate. But it should be narrowed.

In remodels, hidden conditions are real. Once walls, ceilings, or floors are opened, teams may discover rot, noncompliant wiring, undersized framing, past water intrusion, or undocumented prior work. The problem is when the contract uses this possibility as a giant open loop instead of defining an investigation process, unit pricing, or decision protocol.

In the Front Range, subsurface and foundation-related issues deserve special attention. The Colorado Geological Survey warns that expansive soil and rock create major engineering and foundation risks, and that improper design attention to soil severity, loading, reinforcing, or water can lead to damage. If your bid says foundation, retaining wall, drainage, or slab correction will be handled “if needed” or due to “existing conditions,” but no geotechnical basis is attached, you are standing on financial uncertainty.

8. “Standard builder grade unless noted otherwise”

For affluent homeowners, this phrase is often a mismatch disguised as a value.

The problem is not just taste. It is pricing integrity. If you expect custom windows, high-performance exterior assemblies, premium hardware, flush detailing, specialty appliances, architectural lighting, or elevated trim standards, “builder grade” pricing makes the base contract look lower than the finished project will actually be.

The fix is simple: define the standard now. If the home you want is clearly not builder grade, the bid should not be based on builder-grade assumptions.

9. “Permit fees, code-required items, or agency comments not included”

This phrase is a direct warning that the price can move after review.

Arvada states that some residential projects require plan review and that major projects can take four to six weeks for the first plan review. It also notes that certain project types can involve multiple fee categories. Denver’s code system is built on adopted ICC standards with local amendments. That means agency review is not theoretical. It is a real part of project cost and scope development.

If a bid excludes code-required work arising from permit review, you should assume the contract amount may increase once the jurisdiction reviews the plans. For foothills properties, that risk can include wildfire hardening, defensible space, access, grading, retaining walls, and site engineering depending on location and project type. Jefferson County and Arvada both highlight cases where extra documents or standards can apply.

10. “Contractor reserves the right to adjust price for field conditions”

This is the phrase that tells you the number is soft.

Again, real-world field conditions do change. But a well-structured agreement should separate true concealed conditions from foreseeable scope gaps. It should define documentation, approval steps, and pricing methodology. Without that, the clause can function like a broad permission slip for post-contract repricing.

That is not the same as a disciplined change-order process. AIA’s framework treats change orders as formal written modifications to contract sum, contract time, or scope. The closer your contract language gets to “we’ll price it later if things come up,” the farther you are from disciplined preconstruction.

What sophisticated homeowners should ask before signing

Before you sign a design-build agreement or construction contract, ask these questions:

What exactly is included?
What exactly is excluded?
What assumptions are built into the number?
Which selections are still unresolved?
Which site or code variables could change price?
What documentation supports the structural, soils, drainage, wildfire, and permit assumptions?
What is the written process for approving changes before work proceeds?

Those questions matter because written clarity is the only real antidote to vague pricing. The FTC recommends written estimates and written contracts before work begins; in a complex remodel, the spirit of that advice is not just consumer protection, it is budget protection.

Final takeaway

The phrases above do not always mean your contractor is bad. They do mean your bid may not be fully baked.

For affluent homeowners in Denver, Arvada, Lakewood, and the foothills, the stakes are higher because projects are more customized, site conditions can be trickier, and local code or permitting requirements can add real complexity. A good design-build firm earns trust by reducing ambiguity before construction starts, not by presenting a low-looking number filled with “allowances,” “TBD,” “by others,” and “as needed.”

The rule is simple: when the bid language is vague, the budget is not fixed.