ᐅ Are additional work items during house construction reasonable and fairly priced?
Created on: 3 Nov 2022 22:00
D
DominicHannove
Good evening,
We have received an offer from a general contractor and are wondering whether the following additional items are reasonably priced and make sense:
1. Compensation for fittings and sanitary fixtures when purchased by the homeowner (warranty only covers up to the rough installation stage; concealed installations remain our responsibility):
Compensation for ground floor WC: Hand basin including faucet, WC including flush control (flush tank remains our responsibility)
Compensation for attic bathroom: 1 washbasin including faucet, WC including flush control (flush tank remains the responsibility of Bösteinhaus), shower faucet and shower set including rail (connections remain our responsibility)
Compensation: €2,420.00
The sanitary fixtures included would be: Brand Vigour series “Derby” or “Derby Style”, alternatively brand Geberit series “Renova Plan” or brand Villeroy & Boch series “O.Novo”; faucets: brand Vigour series “Derby”, alternatively brand Hansgrohe “Talis S” or brand Hansa series “Hansapinto”
2. Removal of the fixed central mullions on double casement windows, replaced by installation of special flush profiles
Additional cost: 3 windows x €160.00 = €480.00
3. Installation of a secondary entrance door as a wooden door to the utility room, offset against the omitted window, including security fittings and insulation matching the front door, solid door leaf, including locking system matching the front door
Additional cost: €2,020.00
4. Installation of a skylight in the attic hallway, approx. 78 x 118 cm (31 x 46 inches), compliant with the energy saving regulations, brand Velux type GGU MK 06 Thermo (pivot window)
Additional cost: €1,360.00
5. Supply and installation of rough tongue-and-groove boarding, 24 mm (1 inch) thick, made of Nordic spruce or fir, dried, staggered installation with screws onto ceiling joists or collar beams
Additional cost: €1,840.00
6. Concrete staircase, white plastered, with beech steps and risers made of washable white Forex panels, with railing according to building specifications and steel handrail or alternatively masonry railing with internal handrail, with storage room and door under the stairs including light outlet and socket
Additional cost compared to standard staircase: €4,800.00
This “standard” staircase would be: A nicely shaped open staircase with solid wood steps in laminated beech, with continuous railing made of modern round tubing
7. Installation of an additional shower in the guest WC as a flush-floor, tiled design approx. 90 x 150 cm (35 x 59 inches) with installation of one floor drain and required large-area sealing, wall enclosure up to 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) height according to drawing, shower area tiled to 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) height; shower faucet and shower set including rail to be provided by homeowner
Note: a shower partition must be installed by the builder on-site
Additional cost: €1,990.00
8. Creation of a tiled niche in the shower in the ground floor WC, approx. 30 x 60 cm (12 x 24 inches)
Additional cost: €340.00
9. Creation of a masonry and tiled shelf behind the washbasin in the ground floor WC, height 1.20 m (4 ft), approx. 0.8 linear meters
Additional cost: €200.00
10. Installation of an additional cold water connection in the ground floor WC next to the toilet (for future installation of a bidet spray by the builder)
Additional cost: €290.00
11. Creation of a tiled shelf next to the bathtub according to drawing, height approx. 50–60 cm (20–24 inches)
Additional cost: €190.00
12. Installation of a laundry chute from the upper bathroom to the utility room (ground floor), 300 mm (12 inches) spiral seam pipe with laundry bag and secured flap for inserting laundry
Additional cost: €1,160.00 (alternative: laundry chute as homeowner’s own work, we provide only ceiling opening 350 x 350 mm (14 x 14 inches), additional cost: €180.00)
13. Installation of all switch boxes in deep form for retrofitting wireless smart home systems by own work
Additional cost: €560.00
14. Installation of AEROPAC SN (Siegenia AUBI) demand-controlled ventilators. Draft-free and whisper-quiet operation, individual air regulation, dust filter function, including core drilling and socket
Additional cost: number of bedrooms 4 x €1,100.00 each = €4,400.00
What do you think?
Are there items that are overpriced?
What would you include and what not? (I know some are very individual. For these, I’m more interested if the additional cost is reasonable.)
Are there individual items I should better leave out initially and commission later with the respective specialist?
We would appreciate any advice.
Best regards
We have received an offer from a general contractor and are wondering whether the following additional items are reasonably priced and make sense:
1. Compensation for fittings and sanitary fixtures when purchased by the homeowner (warranty only covers up to the rough installation stage; concealed installations remain our responsibility):
Compensation for ground floor WC: Hand basin including faucet, WC including flush control (flush tank remains our responsibility)
Compensation for attic bathroom: 1 washbasin including faucet, WC including flush control (flush tank remains the responsibility of Bösteinhaus), shower faucet and shower set including rail (connections remain our responsibility)
Compensation: €2,420.00
The sanitary fixtures included would be: Brand Vigour series “Derby” or “Derby Style”, alternatively brand Geberit series “Renova Plan” or brand Villeroy & Boch series “O.Novo”; faucets: brand Vigour series “Derby”, alternatively brand Hansgrohe “Talis S” or brand Hansa series “Hansapinto”
2. Removal of the fixed central mullions on double casement windows, replaced by installation of special flush profiles
Additional cost: 3 windows x €160.00 = €480.00
3. Installation of a secondary entrance door as a wooden door to the utility room, offset against the omitted window, including security fittings and insulation matching the front door, solid door leaf, including locking system matching the front door
Additional cost: €2,020.00
4. Installation of a skylight in the attic hallway, approx. 78 x 118 cm (31 x 46 inches), compliant with the energy saving regulations, brand Velux type GGU MK 06 Thermo (pivot window)
Additional cost: €1,360.00
5. Supply and installation of rough tongue-and-groove boarding, 24 mm (1 inch) thick, made of Nordic spruce or fir, dried, staggered installation with screws onto ceiling joists or collar beams
Additional cost: €1,840.00
6. Concrete staircase, white plastered, with beech steps and risers made of washable white Forex panels, with railing according to building specifications and steel handrail or alternatively masonry railing with internal handrail, with storage room and door under the stairs including light outlet and socket
Additional cost compared to standard staircase: €4,800.00
This “standard” staircase would be: A nicely shaped open staircase with solid wood steps in laminated beech, with continuous railing made of modern round tubing
7. Installation of an additional shower in the guest WC as a flush-floor, tiled design approx. 90 x 150 cm (35 x 59 inches) with installation of one floor drain and required large-area sealing, wall enclosure up to 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) height according to drawing, shower area tiled to 2.10 m (6 ft 11 in) height; shower faucet and shower set including rail to be provided by homeowner
Note: a shower partition must be installed by the builder on-site
Additional cost: €1,990.00
8. Creation of a tiled niche in the shower in the ground floor WC, approx. 30 x 60 cm (12 x 24 inches)
Additional cost: €340.00
9. Creation of a masonry and tiled shelf behind the washbasin in the ground floor WC, height 1.20 m (4 ft), approx. 0.8 linear meters
Additional cost: €200.00
10. Installation of an additional cold water connection in the ground floor WC next to the toilet (for future installation of a bidet spray by the builder)
Additional cost: €290.00
11. Creation of a tiled shelf next to the bathtub according to drawing, height approx. 50–60 cm (20–24 inches)
Additional cost: €190.00
12. Installation of a laundry chute from the upper bathroom to the utility room (ground floor), 300 mm (12 inches) spiral seam pipe with laundry bag and secured flap for inserting laundry
Additional cost: €1,160.00 (alternative: laundry chute as homeowner’s own work, we provide only ceiling opening 350 x 350 mm (14 x 14 inches), additional cost: €180.00)
13. Installation of all switch boxes in deep form for retrofitting wireless smart home systems by own work
Additional cost: €560.00
14. Installation of AEROPAC SN (Siegenia AUBI) demand-controlled ventilators. Draft-free and whisper-quiet operation, individual air regulation, dust filter function, including core drilling and socket
Additional cost: number of bedrooms 4 x €1,100.00 each = €4,400.00
What do you think?
Are there items that are overpriced?
What would you include and what not? (I know some are very individual. For these, I’m more interested if the additional cost is reasonable.)
Are there individual items I should better leave out initially and commission later with the respective specialist?
We would appreciate any advice.
Best regards
DominicHannove schrieb:
13. Installation of all switch boxes in a deeper design for the retrofit of a wireless smart home system as a DIY project
Additional cost: 560.00 €Is this really the only incentive offered by the electrical trade? Usually, the descriptions of construction services are at the lower end of the standard scope of features. For example, few power outlets, no network connections, and so on.
D
DominicHannove6 Nov 2022 11:56hanse987 schrieb:
Is this really the only incentive in the electrical trade? Usually, the scope of work descriptions are at the lower end of the standard equipment range. For example, few outlets, no network, …No. That’s just what we would already agree on with the general contractor.
There is actually quite a lot included (for example, about 50 outlets), but to some extent, we still need to upgrade the electrical work. For example, more outlets, spotlights, motion sensor lighting on the stair steps, spotlights in the eaves, etc.
We wanted to upgrade these items directly with the specialist contractor, not through the general contractor.
D
DominicHannove6 Nov 2022 12:00Hansi H. schrieb:
Notes: 1. 17,300€ sounds cheap for a central ventilation system. 2. I lived for 7 years in a KfW 70% house without ventilation, and it was an unpleasant sauna regarding humidity (and we really aired the place a lot). We always had moisture on the windows and, over time, mold stains. I would never build without ventilation. 3. When is construction starting? Can you really comply with the 2023 Building Energy Act standards without a residential ventilation system with heat recovery? No one warned us about the new regulations as a precaution... Is 17,300€ really cheap for a central ventilation system? It’s about a Zehnder system. For me, it seems quite expensive for 162m2 (1740 sq ft) of living space without a basement...
Construction starts in March 2023. Unfortunately, we do not receive any subsidies. The small target we have to meet is energy efficiency class A, because that gave us a reduced interest rate for financing.
D
DominicHannove6 Nov 2022 12:03Which trade is actually responsible for the decentralized and centralized ventilation systems?
Maybe I can save money by not ordering the system through the general contractor but directly through the specific trade... that way I could probably save about a 20% markup from the general contractor.
Maybe I can save money by not ordering the system through the general contractor but directly through the specific trade... that way I could probably save about a 20% markup from the general contractor.
DominicHannove schrieb:
Is €17,300 (about $18,600) really cheap for a central ventilation system? It’s about a Zehnder system. For me, that seems expensive for 162m2 (1,744 sq ft) of living space without a basement... We have the same size also without a basement. In the construction specifications, there is a central exhaust system with fresh air supplied through window frame ventilators. The additional cost for a central controlled ventilation system would have been €21,000 (about $22,600). So we decided against it. Partly because it was too expensive for us, and also because I didn’t trust the planners involved to implement the system properly. But ventilation is included anyway.
W
WilderSueden6 Nov 2022 16:27DominicHannove schrieb:
Which trades are actually responsible for the decentralized and centralized ventilation systems?
Maybe I could save money by commissioning the system directly through the trade rather than the general contractor... that would probably save me a 20% markup from the GC. I wouldn’t recommend that because it creates dependencies across different trades. It needs proper planning and coordination and is not something to be done “quickly on the side.” If a centralized system is too expensive for you, then just choose a decentralized one. Although decentralized systems can also be retrofitted, it’s much less work to build in ventilation bricks than to do core drilling—and if the electrician runs the cables at the same time. Honestly, I wouldn’t choose a system without heat recovery; I’d rather save money on lighting than on that.
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