ᐅ Is this landscaping contractor’s quote reasonable or way too expensive?

chand1986 schrieb:
But your detail-obsessed expertocracy (everything I can’t do myself has to be evaluated, certified, and handled by other “experts”) is driving you to the edge of madness.

That’s how it is. Other homeowners can’t do everything themselves either, but for them, one person (or another one of the father-in-law’s friends) just takes care of it—all without any water-leaking junction boxes, by the way.

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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/

aero2016 schrieb:
Where is your problem? I’ll tell you: You’re jealous.

Jealousy is a deadly sin.

No, I’m not. If someone builds a $120k garden, I say respect, I can’t afford that. The rest doesn’t fit though. We have to finish the project, but please test, document, and approve everything at the same time. Work-life balance? Do you really have to celebrate the kids’ birthday right before the go-live?

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
I don’t just send a blacked-out list without comment; I always call them first and explain my thoughts openly. For example, my site manager looked over the current offer and said it was way overpriced. Sometimes I even mentioned the total price. But no matter how you approach it, it’s generally difficult. One person has now contacted me and said I should lay the electrical cables and pipes for the future irrigation system myself in advance, then they could install it. We didn’t get as far as discussing the cost, because this approach doesn’t help me at all. I’d be getting lost with numerous separate trades, and afterward, it would be a huge mess, no one would know where everything is, and so on......

These people are not business-minded and think at that price: “This talker will come back anyway, can’t even install a line.” Or do you think a Ferrari salesperson would have a spoiler removed just because of you?

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
Someone got back to me and said I should lay the electrical cables and the pipes for the future irrigation myself in advance, then they could carry out the work. We didn’t get as far as discussing the costs because this approach didn’t seem helpful to me. I would end up juggling dozens of separate trades, and in the end it would be a huge mess where no one knows where anything is, and so on……

I think that’s exactly where the problem lies. Most landscaping contractors can’t handle such a large project on their own. (Most can build your shell for that kind of money.) Usually it goes like this: the landscaping contractor does area A, B, C, and areas E, F are done by the homeowner. Maybe someone else comes in and does G. All coordinated by the builder.

In the end, if you choose an all-in-one landscaping contractor, you’re basically working with a general contractor who has to subcontract everything they can’t do themselves. Why not hire a landscape architect who plans everything and then coordinates the construction with the individual trades?

When I read about the electrical cables, it sounds like there is more involved. Where is the sub-distribution going to be located? Has a spot been designated? Who is responsible for the control system? The lights and other devices need to turn on and off, for example, based on timers or sensors. How will the water get from the house to the garden?

aero2016 schrieb:
I find some of the statements here really presumptuous. Räuber does not seem to be someone who needs advice on the “right” way to live.

From a neutral perspective, it makes much more sense how he handles things: tasks he can't or doesn’t want to do himself, he outsources. He can afford to do that. There is nothing wrong or inappropriate about it. On the contrary, he provides others with income.

There is nothing objectionable about that. But does it actually work functionally in this case? The purpose of something like this is to relieve certain stress factors by paying others to do the work. I don’t see that happening here. And in my opinion, this isn’t solely the general contractor’s fault (who admittedly makes mistakes).

The stress level has reached a point that contradicts the purpose of “paying and having it done.” I worry that with these negative emotions building up, when the finished house is finally seen, relaxation will never truly set in.
In the end, I would wish for Räuber to have a nice home where he can sit down and say, “Everything worked out as planned, feet up, a beer (or a glass of wine), and finally some peace and quiet.”

hanse987 schrieb:
Why not hire a landscape architect who plans everything and then coordinates the construction with the various trades?

!!! I think that’s a great idea !!!