ᐅ Is the construction company required to provide a detailed cost breakdown for each trade?

Hello everyone,

We are soon building a townhouse measuring 10m x 10m (33 ft x 33 ft) with a single-story bay window at the back measuring 4m x 1m (13 ft x 3 ft). However, the upper floor remains 10m x 10m (33 ft x 33 ft) without the bay window. Now we have extended the bay window down to the lower edge of the house by 6 meters (20 ft). This means the walls on the upper floor no longer align with the walls on the lower floor. This added 2.9 m² (31 sq ft) of living space, and the builder is charging an additional 11,800 EUR. That is about 4,000 EUR/m² (370 USD/sq ft). The roof of the bay window is not even included in this cost.

This does not seem normal, does it? Of course, it affects many trades, but the total cost shouldn’t be this high. The major expenses are coming from the foundation slab, screed, and reinforced concrete floor to the upper floor (which needs to be made stronger). Is the builder trying to overcharge me? He has tried this a few times before, but I was always able to prove that this was not the case, which he eventually admitted.

Attached are the plans before and after.

Do I have the right to request the builder to provide a breakdown of costs for each trade if I ask for it?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Best regards

It sounds like you already have an existing contract with the construction company, possibly including the original floor plan as part of the contract?

How far along are the planning and construction processes? Does the structural engineering need to be recalculated? Does the energy performance certificate need to be redone?

I can imagine that the structural engineering will become significantly more complex, since there are now many more exterior walls on the upper floor without supporting walls below on the ground floor. It might suddenly require a steel beam in the ceiling where a small bay window previously made it unnecessary.

Ultimately, the construction company can charge whatever they consider appropriate. If in doubt, it could be a defensive price because they don’t have the time or inclination. And I don’t think they are obligated to break down the costs for you.

Yes, we already have a contractual relationship with the builder based on the previous design. Structural engineering and so on still need to be redone, but there will be an additional cost of 600 EUR (about 640 USD) to cover this. I hadn’t even mentioned that. We also need to submit a change order for the release, but since it is a release, I don’t think it will be a problem. Construction is scheduled to start in mid-March 2020, but we definitely want the new design now. I just want to know if the price is justified and whether I should be confrontational with the builder or if it’s pointless anyway.

So, the price is not justified?
That’s a shame, I thought there might be a law requiring them to itemize costs by trade.

Your house now also requires an enlarged foundation slab, even though you are not gaining additional living space on the upper floor, which makes the cost per square meter significantly higher. You will probably also need a large steel beam to support the walls on the upper floor.

Best regards
Sabine

The price seems reasonable to me. There is additional effort involved due to the planning changes, materials, logistics, and labor time.
The estimated price per square meter for the house will increase by about €30 (approximately $33).
Calculating the price per square meter only for the bay window (which is complex) and comparing it to the mixed average price per square meter of the house is quite amusing. With this kind of calculation, you are the one misleading the other party, not the other way around.

Schurik19855 schrieb:
I just want to know if the price is justified and whether I should clash with the construction company, or if it’s pointless.

What it will most likely bring is a strained relationship with the construction company, with whom you’ll be spending a rather challenging time in the coming months. Starting off on such a negative note is, in my opinion, a bad idea.

Have you simply asked the construction company how the price is calculated?

Schurik19855 schrieb:
So, the price isn’t justified?

I can well imagine that the price is justified.

Schurik19855 schrieb:
Too bad, I thought there might be some law requiring them to list the costs by trade.

And what if it turns out that they charge half the costs under items like “favorable workload,” “bad weather, would rather quit early,” or “site manager much prefers the small bay window” anyway? Unfortunately, in that case, you can’t do anything about the costs.