ᐅ Surface-mounted / flush-mounted fitting => Additional cost

Good morning!

During the selection phase, the topic of sanitary fittings was also discussed.
The contractually agreed service includes, among other things, the shower faucet "Ideal Standard Ceraplan surface-mounted."
This faucet can be purchased retail (of course without installation) for 60 euros.

Since I did not like the surface-mounted version, I chose to upgrade to the same faucet as a built-in version (Ideal Standard Ceraplan III built-in).

This is not a particularly unusual faucet or anything special.

The built-in faucet is available retail for 106 euros, again without installation.

The company is charging an additional 200 euros for this upgrade (including the cost of the surface-mounted faucet).

My question is:
Is this price difference due to the installation method?
Is it significantly more complicated to install a built-in faucet?
As a layperson, I only see the cost of the faucet itself.

And tile work should be easier with a built-in version, right?

I would appreciate a brief assessment from your side.

Best regards

wiebkechristense schrieb:
The company ...

Which company?
The installation company or the home construction company?

If it is the home construction company: it is not unusual for them to want to make a profit on every extra feature. Simply including this item on the invoice is extra work for them.

I would discuss the extra features directly with the installer – the cost should then not be excessively high.

I am building with Massivhaus Mittelrhein. The selection of materials and finishes took place at the company Hamann. A record was made. An additional charge of 200 euros is now listed there. It is not clear to me who is receiving how much at which point.

I assume this concerns a general contractor (GC) or construction manager?

As mentioned before, you can save a lot if you don’t negotiate every additional cost—like sockets, premium sanitary fixtures, or floor coverings—with the GC or construction manager directly, but rather with the subcontractor who actually performs the work.

For example, our construction manager charged a 66% surcharge on a socket, while the electrician charged their standard rate. However, the construction manager immediately suggested that we handle all other fittings directly with the subcontractors. Separate invoices were then issued by the respective trade companies.

Happy Easter!

In the flush-mounted version, in my opinion, there is an additional component that is usually sold for around 100 euros extra. It is called, for example, the "iBox universal base unit" and can be found online for half that price.

Yes, GÜ (I still need to review what the differences are) I’m considering whether to remove even more. In some cases, it’s really outrageous!