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ruppsn schrieb:
I get that impression too. Additionally, sometimes I feel like I’m in kindergarten.
Four weeks ago, the structural contractor was missing a detail in the construction plan – it would have taken a quick phone call and two minutes to look it up. Instead, he sent an email to the architectural office and waited four weeks without following up.

And what did the architectural office do, just twiddle their thumbs?

tomtom79 schrieb:
And what has the architecture firm been doing, twiddling their thumbs?

No, I think they were playing pocket billiards and picking their noses. In any case, the information was not deliberately withheld by our architects. Some of it has been available for a long time, other parts may have been overlooked, which I cannot rule out. Honestly, I don’t really care about that. What annoys me is the attitude of the project manager at the structural builder. It’s always possible that an email doesn’t get delivered, is overlooked, or simply forgotten. Now the question is how I deal with that. If I want to start the shell construction for my client as soon as possible, I would NOT take the position that sending one email four weeks ago is enough. I would at the latest call after a week to check if anything was unclear and if the email was received. Because I want to find a solution for my client. But here, the attitude is “one email is enough,” and then a termination of the contract is threatened. Customer focus and solution orientation look different. Here, it seems they tend to think in problems and “enemies,” and less in solutions and—what was the K-word—oh yes, customers!

In fact, the situation is even more complex. The structural builder submitted an additional offer for some tasks (setting the inspection shafts)—at clearly inflated prices. Our architect requested two alternative quotes, both about half the price, and rejected the builder’s offer, pointing out that it did not reflect typical local prices. For setting two shafts, the builder wanted 10,000€ per shaft (about 11,000 USD), with just the concrete rings priced at 2,800€ (about 3,080 USD) each. They also charged a flat 3,000€ (about 3,300 USD) for mobilizing the construction machinery from a town 15 km (9 miles) away. The small amount of excavated soil (the pit was already dug and the soil was stored on the side) they insisted must be taken to a landfill…
Counteroffer: 1,700€ (about 1,870 USD) per shaft, 350€ (about 385 USD) flat fee for side storage of the excavated soil, including transportation of machinery on and offsite.

The structural builder is now threatening to unilaterally terminate the contract in a letter if we don’t reject their additional offer within a week, claiming their prices are customary in the area. Apparently, they don’t realize that a quote is not an invoice, so there is no obligation to accept it. It seems to me they are overcharging to perhaps cover a miscalculation or make a better profit. Whatever their reason, it is NOT customer oriented. And I’m not going to sign any nonsense.
It was also clear that we received the letter just as our architect was on a plane heading overseas to start his two-week vacation. I scanned the letter and emailed it asking for help. As soon as he landed, he replied that he would consult with his business partner over the weekend and that an email would be sent to the builder on Monday. Here, they clearly understand who the client is and what is helpful for the situation.

@haydee and @Arifas, thank you for your support [emoji4]. I hope your mold issue, haydee, will be resolved quickly and turn out well! And Arifas, of course I can handle your photos of the foundation slab. [emoji4] Just because we’re facing delays doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for your progress. Wishing you both continued smooth and stress-free progress! We just got 8cm (3 inches) of snow, and looking at the weather forecast, nothing will happen next week, even if my boyfriend, the structural builder, suddenly changes his mind and wants to start.

ruppsn schrieb:
The structural builder now states in his letter that he will unilaterally terminate the contract if we do not accept his additional offer within one week and claims that his prices are customary for the area.

Of course, accept the offer, not decline it...

So, you are already facing problems even though construction hasn't properly started yet. Would there be a quick and reliable alternative in case he actually cancels the contract?

Yes, I would, we have two alternatives. In fact, we already offered him that option before; this issue has been ongoing since December. But he didn’t want it... (at the time, he couldn’t get a foundation specialist, so after consulting with our architect, a replacement was found who was even cheaper. Now the project manager refuses to acknowledge this and demands the lost payment... I wonder what he’s asking for since, except for a construction fence that has been there for a week, he hasn’t done anything yet).

My lesson learned: even if you’re building with an architect and managing contracts individually, don’t award contracts to companies the architect hasn’t worked with before. In this case, the architectural firm hadn’t worked with the structural contractor yet, but had worked with them on interior plastering, which went smoothly. It’s also a larger construction company, not a family-run business (which I would prefer nowadays). I suspect it’s more of a personnel issue with the structural contractor because, from my perspective, the project manager seems like the type who officially has no authority but tries to act like the boss at work.
I’m starting to wonder if any collaboration is still possible. Instinctively, I would probably offer him a certain amount for his (nonexistent) efforts (since he literally hasn’t done anything yet) and then show him the door. By profession, I usually assume everyone acts with the best intentions in their context. Here, I’m reaching my limits...

And just as you said, construction hasn’t even really started yet [emoji849] On the other hand, if we’ve already had all this stress during the initial phase, the remaining year should be really relaxing [emoji6] Please don’t take away this naive hope from me! [emoji23]