ᐅ Extension and Renovation: Architect’s Fees Phases 1–4

Hello everyone,
We have purchased a house from 1921 (110 sqm / 1,184 sq ft living area) and plan to add an additional floor (about 55 sqm / 592 sq ft) and renovate the house (preferably with KfW 261 funding, if still available).
We have now found an architect who will prepare a rough preliminary design for the building permit / planning permission inquiry regarding the additional floor and subsequently draw up the construction plans (phases 1-4). The energy consulting will be handled by someone else.
I understand the fee calculation according to HOAI so far. We had set an overall budget of up to €450,000 for the additional floor (about €250,000) and renovation (about €200,000).
However, the architect has now assumed a building cost of €450,000 for calculating his fees and is therefore already charging over €20,000 for phases 1-4.
Is this correct?
I had expected a lower amount of total eligible costs for the additional floor based on €250,000 gross.
Thank you very much for your time and help!

The eligible construction costs according to the HOAI are the net construction costs (excluding VAT) of the commissioned cost groups (CG) 200/300/400, and possibly also CG 500 (external works). For the fee calculation, the indication of the fee zone, the fee rate (range), then for your construction project the conversion surcharge of 20-33%, the additional costs, and the VAT are also included.

The architect’s fee is part of CG 700 (building ancillary costs). If these were included in the €450,000 you mentioned, they must also be deducted, as they are not part of the eligible construction costs. CG 700 also includes other fees (surveyor, geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, MEP engineer services, etc.), which would also need to be deducted.

Your commissioned architect should provide you with a detailed and comprehensive presentation of the above fee parameters underlying his fee calculation. He is also obligated to do so according to the HOAI. Apart from that, the decisive factor is the agreements you have made with him in the contract for work/architect contract.

Thank you very much for your detailed response!

So it is correct that the architect calculates their fee for the construction plans of the extension based on the renovation costs of the existing building?
If we were to only extend without renovating the existing building, the architect would receive about €8000 less for the same service?

The architect is compensated for their planning services based on the eligible construction costs—no more and no less. They must provide you with a detailed breakdown of these services.

The eligible construction costs referenced in their fee calculation must be verifiably calculated either through a cost estimate (according to service phase 2/preliminary design) or a cost calculation (according to service phase 3/design development), or based on existing bids for tendered construction work. Anything else is not acceptable.

Hausaus1920ern schrieb:

We bought a house from 1921 (110 m² (1,184 sq ft) living area) and want to add an additional floor (around 55 m² (592 sq ft)) and renovate the house.

Describe the building type: is it a one-and-a-half-story house with 70/75 m² (753/807 sq ft) on the ground floor and a converted pitched roof without knee walls?

Hausaus1920ern schrieb:

We have now found an architect who will prepare a rough preliminary design for the building permit/planning permission application for the extension and then draw up the construction plans (phases 1-4). The energy consulting will be handled by someone else.

You don’t need just any architect, but specifically one experienced in renovating existing buildings. Phase 5 of the service is particularly important; you always pay for it, either as part of the design fee or as a costly lesson in improvisation. Choosing just a “rubber-stamp” architect to meet legal requirements and awarding construction contracts without public tendering would be naïve.

Hausaus1920ern schrieb:

So if we only added the extra floor without renovating the existing building, would the architect’s fee be about €8,000 less for the same scope?

That wouldn’t be the same scope; there would be significantly less to plan.

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The HOAI is no longer binding – just negotiate a fee directly with your architect.
GD