Hello,
I hope someone here can help me.
We are currently renovating a house.
I have requested a quote from a plasterer because we want to have all the rooms plastered. An employee already came to take the measurements. In his quote, he states the wall area as 220m² (2,370 sq ft).
I took the time to measure everything myself. I simply multiplied each wall’s length by its height and always subtracted windows and doors. I came up with a total of 158m² (1,700 sq ft).
I spoke to the plasterer about this, and he said the 220m² figure is correct because doors and windows that are smaller than 2.5m² (27 sq ft) are included. Only windows larger than 2.5m² are deducted. He referenced the DIN 18350 regulation for this.
To me, this doesn’t make any sense, since I am paying for materials and labor based on the square meters.
The actual area should be 158m², not 220m².
It’s like buying 20 liters of fuel at a gas station but being charged for 40 liters at the register.
Does anyone understand this and could help me see it more clearly?
Thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Kristof
I hope someone here can help me.
We are currently renovating a house.
I have requested a quote from a plasterer because we want to have all the rooms plastered. An employee already came to take the measurements. In his quote, he states the wall area as 220m² (2,370 sq ft).
I took the time to measure everything myself. I simply multiplied each wall’s length by its height and always subtracted windows and doors. I came up with a total of 158m² (1,700 sq ft).
I spoke to the plasterer about this, and he said the 220m² figure is correct because doors and windows that are smaller than 2.5m² (27 sq ft) are included. Only windows larger than 2.5m² are deducted. He referenced the DIN 18350 regulation for this.
To me, this doesn’t make any sense, since I am paying for materials and labor based on the square meters.
The actual area should be 158m², not 220m².
It’s like buying 20 liters of fuel at a gas station but being charged for 40 liters at the register.
Does anyone understand this and could help me see it more clearly?
Thanks a lot.
Best regards,
Kristof
H
hampshire25 Mar 2021 13:47Nice-Nofret schrieb:
It doesn’t matter how the contractor arrives at their quoted price; what counts for you is only what you pay and what you get in return!It does matter to me. I want to know what I am getting and, if possible, have some influence on it before I receive it.netuser schrieb:
There is nothing to add to the overall explanation, but I still find it hard to understand why the tradespeople are being defended for their "incomprehensible and/or incomplete" offers, while the customers (laypeople) are expected to engage deeply with the subject. For the majority of clients, it is clear how such calculations are made, and the rest (like here) ask questions and receive answers, so everything fits, right?!
And it only really becomes relevant when it comes to the final billing.
HarvSpec schrieb:
For most clients, it is clear, I doubt that, but OK...
HarvSpec schrieb:
how such calculations are made, and the rest (like here) ask questions and get answers, so everything is fine?! Why do things the simple way when you can make them complicated?
Yes, that is possible. But it would be more appropriate in this case to use the actual measured area—for example, the 158 sqm (1700 sq ft)—and transparently apply the corresponding factor according to the DIN standard for the projection when presenting it to the client. Just one line of explanation, and that’s it!
In my opinion, THAT is customer-oriented, further emphasizes the provider’s competence and professionalism, and saves them from having to answer more “basic questions” from a layperson.
The problem is that these days, tradespeople don’t need to be particularly customer-oriented to earn a decent living. It is currently a seller’s market, and skilled tradespeople who provide good workmanship and service are very hard to find. And when you do find one, they often don’t have availability for another three months, if at all...
Winniefred schrieb:
If it’s stated like this in the DIN standard, the rough estimate might be correct (and the detailed calculation will be done later), but who reads a DIN standard as a layperson? A note in advance or on the quote would be nice. Such a note wouldn’t just be nice but necessary if no site measurement had been taken – for example, if the original poster requested 158 sqm (1700 sq ft): then the quote should include a statement like “the contract volume determined according to DIN may be significantly higher than the layperson’s own measurements.” If the invoice then breaks down every single square centimeter in detail, over-measuring would be pointless anyway.
hampshire schrieb:
By the way: it’s no longer a given that a tradesperson will provide a quote based on an actual measurement on site. [...] Maybe this indicates that they will also do a good job. I would consider this a gift with no obligation attached. But it is something to be grateful for – including by awarding them the contract, even if their price is slightly higher than a competitor’s.
Nice-Nofret schrieb:
It doesn’t matter how the tradesperson arrives at their price; what counts for you is only what you pay and what you get in return! What really matters with the DIN over-measuring method is that it compensates for the performance area saved by openings through the complicated reveals, allowing the quote to be close to an exact figure. This avoids the frustration of facing an invoice for over 220 sqm (2360 sq ft) when you had only budgeted for 158 sqm (1700 sq ft).
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