ᐅ Prefabricated House – Removing Plumbing Services from the Contract?
Created on: 31 Jan 2023 16:17
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Fertighaus123
Hello everyone,
We have our final selection appointment with our house provider tomorrow, so I would really appreciate hearing your opinions today.
Our project manager pointed out to us that, to save costs, we could exclude the plumbing work from the contract. This way, we could buy the fixtures and related items cheaper online and save a lot of money—provided we find a willing plumber. When we asked if they would still handle the connections and piping (timber frame construction), the answer was yes: everything would be ready for connection, so only the fixtures would need to be installed. One additional note was that the shower drain needs to be installed in time before the tiler comes.
This sounds almost too simple to us, which makes us suspicious again. We estimate we could save several thousand euros, but is it really that easy? What do you think? And how would you assess the warranty situation if water leakage occurs somewhere?
We do have a plumber in our circle of friends, but of course, we would have to talk to them, which unfortunately isn’t possible before tomorrow.
I would be very, very grateful for any replies...
Best regards
We have our final selection appointment with our house provider tomorrow, so I would really appreciate hearing your opinions today.
Our project manager pointed out to us that, to save costs, we could exclude the plumbing work from the contract. This way, we could buy the fixtures and related items cheaper online and save a lot of money—provided we find a willing plumber. When we asked if they would still handle the connections and piping (timber frame construction), the answer was yes: everything would be ready for connection, so only the fixtures would need to be installed. One additional note was that the shower drain needs to be installed in time before the tiler comes.
This sounds almost too simple to us, which makes us suspicious again. We estimate we could save several thousand euros, but is it really that easy? What do you think? And how would you assess the warranty situation if water leakage occurs somewhere?
We do have a plumber in our circle of friends, but of course, we would have to talk to them, which unfortunately isn’t possible before tomorrow.
I would be very, very grateful for any replies...
Best regards
Well, installation is, for me, a lump sum item (for the extra-cost items). It’s certainly not an excessive amount, but an additional 50-100€ (about 55-110 USD) each time is added. For the built-in shower mixer, I swallowed the cost. I offered the plumber to provide it myself and pay him 500€ (about 550 USD). Installation costs would still apply. He didn’t want that.
Fertighaus123 schrieb:
We will receive a credit for the included standard fixtures, [...] We have two bathrooms and did not choose exactly the basic options,Ah, that’s where the problem lies: you want rarely ordered items. Does this also apply to the installation method?https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
What kind of extravagant fixtures do you want? In principle, it sounds like it’s from the general contractor, but do you really save money by choosing individually? The only thing that’s actually worth it is the bathtub: a nice 180cm (71 inches) one can cost ten times as much as the planned 165cm (65 inches) model. Possibly the shower as well. Everything else is supposed to be provided on site anyway.
ypg schrieb:
What kind of extravagant fittings are you looking for? In principle, it sounds like it matches the general contractor’s scope, but do you really save money by choosing individually? The only thing that’s really worth it is the bathtub: a nice 180cm (71 inches) one can cost ten times as much as the planned 165cm (65 inches). Possibly also the shower. Everything else usually has to be provided on site anyway.Really? Not in our case. Everything, including sanitary fixtures, is included in the construction specification — though not very specifically detailed. We could have chosen from a few standard options.
However, we are also handling the basins, fittings, toilets, and bathtub ourselves. Except for a built-in fitting for the bathtub, which the plumber is providing. We arranged this with the general contractor because he said that you can buy those items online cheaper than his plumber’s own costs. That way, we get exactly what we want, and he has no hassle. We pay his calculated material prices for it. The general contractor/plumber still installs it all, but you can’t really count on this arrangement; it’s truly an exception. We also had problems finding someone to install the basins in our previous house.
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Fertighaus1239 Feb 2023 08:48Without starting a debate about extraordinary features, these are not exactly standard items but also not the most expensive options—just two bathrooms. Once you begin looking at Hansgrohe Rainfinity showerheads or a RainSelect thermostat, the cost quickly reaches a level where you either treat yourself, and maybe can afford it, or end up paying double or triple that amount.
In our case, the additional cost would be roughly €10,000 (about $11,000), which is not an estimate but based on comparing the recommended retail price with online prices. We can’t be more precise yet because we have left some flexibility with a few fixtures. There are not many industries where you can rely on the RRP, but in our opinion, the plumbing sector definitely qualifies. And that doesn’t have to be the case if your home builder already includes these options.
In theory, the amount doesn’t matter—for someone who finds $1,000 expensive, $2,000 is just as painful as for someone who can afford $10,000 but would have to pay $20,000. It’s their personal range, and paying double for something usually boils down to a simple yes or no decision.
We would never have paid $20,000 for these fixtures but would have switched to different ones—not as nice as we imagined, but equally viable. Now we’re happy to have saved $10,000 and still to get our desired fixtures.
In our case, the additional cost would be roughly €10,000 (about $11,000), which is not an estimate but based on comparing the recommended retail price with online prices. We can’t be more precise yet because we have left some flexibility with a few fixtures. There are not many industries where you can rely on the RRP, but in our opinion, the plumbing sector definitely qualifies. And that doesn’t have to be the case if your home builder already includes these options.
In theory, the amount doesn’t matter—for someone who finds $1,000 expensive, $2,000 is just as painful as for someone who can afford $10,000 but would have to pay $20,000. It’s their personal range, and paying double for something usually boils down to a simple yes or no decision.
We would never have paid $20,000 for these fixtures but would have switched to different ones—not as nice as we imagined, but equally viable. Now we’re happy to have saved $10,000 and still to get our desired fixtures.
When I saw how the professional company installed the 100x120cm (39x47 inches) shower into the 103x123cm (41x48 inches) opening without measuring beforehand during the inspection, I lost my trust in contractors... you usually do things quite precisely when it's for yourself.
Wishing you all continued success!
Wishing you all continued success!
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