ᐅ Comparability of Costs: Architect vs. General Contractor
Created on: 4 Mar 2021 16:57
A
askforafriend
Hello dear forum,
We are currently in the planning phase for a single-family house. We have requested quotes from several general contractors and have also spoken with a very approachable architect. We would be happy to present our building project (BVH) in detail at a later stage!
Overall, we much prefer the transparency and approach of the architect compared to the initial consultation with the general contractor. We understand that over time, we will also speak with an architect/planner through the general contractor who will discuss details with us. We have thoroughly researched the advantages and disadvantages both in this forum and through various guides.
At this stage, our main focus is on comparing the cost estimates from the general contractors versus the architect. The general contractor states the costs as a fixed price (based on the building and scope of services description) plus our additional requests (extra electrical outlets, KfW standard, etc.). A rough total for the house including additional requests was, for example, 410,000 euros. This naturally also includes architectural/planning/engineering services according to the scope of work description.
Land leveling.
Discussions about your building project together with you during planning and construction meetings. Preparation of building permit/planning permission documents at a scale of 1:100 in the required number of copies for the authorities.
You will receive an additional set of plans for your personal records.
Development of working drawings (scale 1:50) as well as any necessary detailed drawings.
Creation of structural engineering plans (standard structural design for the respective house type) including any required building physics reports for thermal and fire protection.
Calculation of energy demand and preparation of the energy performance certificate. A copy will be provided for your records.
Preparation of public funding applications, if required.
Site management and construction supervision up to handover of the house.
Support during the warranty period.
When we first met with the architect, he took out a book labeled BKI to provide a rough estimate of the feasibility of the building project based on this data. He calculated roughly 3,000 euros per square meter and 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space, resulting in a total of 450,000 euros.
The big question now is: Does this amount exclude his fees or do these average construction costs per square meter already include the services mentioned above? This might be a somewhat naive question, but it’s really unclear to us. Is there a list of costs that are included in these average rates?
We have an appointment with him next week for a more detailed cost assessment.
Thank you very much for your feedback, and I wish you a pleasant week.
We are currently in the planning phase for a single-family house. We have requested quotes from several general contractors and have also spoken with a very approachable architect. We would be happy to present our building project (BVH) in detail at a later stage!
Overall, we much prefer the transparency and approach of the architect compared to the initial consultation with the general contractor. We understand that over time, we will also speak with an architect/planner through the general contractor who will discuss details with us. We have thoroughly researched the advantages and disadvantages both in this forum and through various guides.
At this stage, our main focus is on comparing the cost estimates from the general contractors versus the architect. The general contractor states the costs as a fixed price (based on the building and scope of services description) plus our additional requests (extra electrical outlets, KfW standard, etc.). A rough total for the house including additional requests was, for example, 410,000 euros. This naturally also includes architectural/planning/engineering services according to the scope of work description.
Land leveling.
Discussions about your building project together with you during planning and construction meetings. Preparation of building permit/planning permission documents at a scale of 1:100 in the required number of copies for the authorities.
You will receive an additional set of plans for your personal records.
Development of working drawings (scale 1:50) as well as any necessary detailed drawings.
Creation of structural engineering plans (standard structural design for the respective house type) including any required building physics reports for thermal and fire protection.
Calculation of energy demand and preparation of the energy performance certificate. A copy will be provided for your records.
Preparation of public funding applications, if required.
Site management and construction supervision up to handover of the house.
Support during the warranty period.
When we first met with the architect, he took out a book labeled BKI to provide a rough estimate of the feasibility of the building project based on this data. He calculated roughly 3,000 euros per square meter and 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space, resulting in a total of 450,000 euros.
The big question now is: Does this amount exclude his fees or do these average construction costs per square meter already include the services mentioned above? This might be a somewhat naive question, but it’s really unclear to us. Is there a list of costs that are included in these average rates?
We have an appointment with him next week for a more detailed cost assessment.
Thank you very much for your feedback, and I wish you a pleasant week.
W
WilderSueden6 Mar 2021 23:33Yaso2.0 schrieb:
It’s nice if you know everything beforehand.Of course, you can’t know everything in advance. We’ll probably have to make some spontaneous adjustments, but I’ve made an effort to keep those additional costs for tiles to around 5 or 10 €/m² (0.50 to 1.00 $/ft²) and not another 20,000 € for patio doors and similar items. I don’t want to budget that heavily because whatever is available will most likely be used.
WilderSueden schrieb:
I don’t want to plan such a large buffer because whatever is available will almost certainly be used.With an independent architect, you can effectively control the buffer size—keyword: "active definition of the scope of work." The largest buffer will be used up if you choose a construction partner whose scope of work differs significantly from the client’s expectations. Simply put: the buffer increases with the extent of changes to the specifications.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
askforafriend6 Mar 2021 23:50WilderSueden schrieb:
Of course, you can’t know everything in advance. We will probably still make some spontaneous upgrades, but I’ve made an effort to keep the extra costs to around 5 or 10€/sqm (0.46 or 0.93 $/sq ft) for tiles and no more than 20,000€ (about 22,000 $) for patio doors and similar items. I don’t want to budget too heavily for extras because whatever is available will most likely be used. We currently have a “Must-Have” list and a “Nice to Have / Would be good” list. The Must-Have list mainly includes items that are difficult or impossible to change later, so we want to consider them right from the start. This can also include things that prepare for the “Nice to Have” category later on (for example, conduits for photovoltaic systems, high-voltage wiring for a carport, etc.) We are ruthless in prioritizing here. We also want to be creative and look at individual items (but not everything) to find potential savings.
I think it’s also an advantage if you’ve already run your own household in a house with a garden, rather than moving directly from an apartment. Certain things are simply tried and tested in everyday life, and you already have your preferences. What you’ve never had, you don’t tend to miss so easily 🙂
The “Nice to Have” list contains items that we think are quite cool or fun but are not essential for our personal happiness. There are actually quite a few things here 🙂 Some of these could possibly be retrofitted later.
askforafriend6 Mar 2021 23:5111ant schrieb:
Working with an independent architect allows you to effectively influence the size of the buffer, keyword "active definition of the scope of work." The largest buffer is usually needed when you choose a construction partner whose scope of work has significant differences compared to the client's requirements. Simply put: the buffer grows with the extent of changes to the original specifications. I agree—I consulted with the general contractor and looked at a standard design house. The price quoted was $333,000 for the house including the basement according to the scope of work. We then reviewed several points and made some changes—suddenly the cost was $439,000.
askforafriend schrieb:
I agree – we visited the general contractor and looked at a standard house model. It doesn’t really matter what you change – the significance of the scope and the number of changes determines how much the price increases. More length, width, ceiling height, knee wall height, or roof pitch basically impacts the cost in a similar way to adding extra electrical outlets, using brick instead of plaster, or similar adjustments.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/