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

hanse987 schrieb:
Why not have a landscape architect plan everything and then coordinate the construction with the individual trades?

That’s one option, or rather it would have been one. Someone like that should have been involved at the very beginning of the initial planning phase. My mistake was relying early on the statements of two garden landscapers who said, "Why bother with that now? Once the shell of the building is up and the roof is on, you can start asking around." The person who made the offer later told me that involving them at that stage was far too late. I only came across him later through my new neighbor, who also had everything done by them and continues to receive maintenance services from them. Every other week, a truck from the garden landscaping company is parked outside his house. He was still able to salvage quite a bit though, such as preparing the electrical setup extending into the garden and coordinating the provision of water outdoors, etc.

In terms of cost, involving such an architect is probably a whole different level compared to a turnkey general contractor package. They are also usually paid according to HOAI (official fee structure for architects and engineers). I plan to look into this out of interest. If I then see that it is indeed likely to be more expensive overall, there’s no need for extensive comparisons with the current provider. I am quite confident that they will execute the project very well.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
This is one option, or rather it would have been an option. Someone like that should have been involved at the very beginning of the basic planning phase. My mistake was that I initially relied on the statement of two landscape gardeners who said, "Why are you bringing this up so early? Once the shell of the building is complete and the roof is on, you can start making inquiries." The person who made the offer later told me that the involvement was indeed quite late. Unfortunately, I only found out about him later through my new neighbor. He also had everything done by them and even has ongoing maintenance handled by them. Every other week, a truck from the landscape gardeners is parked in front of his house. Still, he managed to save a lot, such as proper electrical preparations leading into the garden, coordination for outdoor water supply, and so on.

In terms of costs, involving such an architect would probably be in a different league compared to the general contractor’s all-inclusive package. He is also paid according to HOAI (official fee structure for architects and engineers). I will look into it with some interest. If I then find out that, in the end, it is indeed likely to be more expensive, there’s no need for extensive comparisons with the current provider. Because I am quite confident that they will implement it very well.

At that price, you should have someone coordinate the work. Then it’s not just about money but avoiding poor workmanship.

Better to have it done / coordinated properly.

Or does the $10,000 for an architect really hurt?

HilfeHilfe schrieb:
or does the $10,000 hurt for an architect?

How do you arrive at €10,000? Take a look at what a full architectural service according to HOAI costs if you estimate a project of €200,000–250,000. You’ll be dealing with a multiple of €10,000. That’s likely what it will come down to if the architect includes everything from the beginning, like the pool and so on. I’m going to pick up the phone and check into this now.

hanse987 schrieb:
When I read about the electrical wiring, it sounds like there’s more to it.

At this point, I really lost faith. To me, it sounds like the sentence starting with "before we used to ..." in cookbooks.

chand1986 schrieb:
The stress level has reached a point that contradicts the whole idea of "paying to have it done." And I’m worried that these negative emotions will cloud the final view of the completed house – and relaxation will never come.

And I believe reconciliation (with four ö’s, as pronounced by Johannes Rau) can only be achieved through one’s own actions.

R.Hotzenplotz schrieb:
Every second week, a vehicle from the landscaping company is parked in front of the door.

I assume it’s a regular Ducato, Crafter, or Sprinter—not a Cayenne.

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We stayed with our landscaper. A 10-15% lower price from other providers wasn’t worth the hassle of breaking everything apart. In the end, we received a 3% discount plus better terms for the paving and have accepted that. The main thing is that they do a proper job, which I expect they will!

Good luck

When will he start