Hello forum members,
The following questions are somewhat mixed and mainly relate to the initial stage of a planned house construction. However, from what I have read in this forum, some aspects need to be considered even before or during the planning phase, as they may have significant consequences later on (specifications in the scope of work).
I will now simply ask a few general questions. If these do not fit into this topic, I apologize in advance.
1. Prefabricated house vs. solid house
Since we are not craftsmen and want the house to be erected quickly, based on our current situation and knowledge, we would prefer to build a prefabricated house.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of both construction methods, based on the 2015 standard (for example, the insulation quality of prefabricated houses has generally improved over the last 5 years compared to 2010)? A brief summary would be sufficient for now. If I have further questions, I will ask in more detail.
2. Scope of work specification
Is it equally important for prefabricated houses to have detailed scope of work specifications as for solid construction?
3. Are there any standard or sample scope of work specifications available that one can use as a reference? By this, I mean anonymized examples from other homeowners during planning. I understand that these can never be 100% tailored to our project. The idea is just to have a benchmark for what a good, final scope of work specification should look like.
Best regards
Hauke
The following questions are somewhat mixed and mainly relate to the initial stage of a planned house construction. However, from what I have read in this forum, some aspects need to be considered even before or during the planning phase, as they may have significant consequences later on (specifications in the scope of work).
I will now simply ask a few general questions. If these do not fit into this topic, I apologize in advance.
1. Prefabricated house vs. solid house
Since we are not craftsmen and want the house to be erected quickly, based on our current situation and knowledge, we would prefer to build a prefabricated house.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of both construction methods, based on the 2015 standard (for example, the insulation quality of prefabricated houses has generally improved over the last 5 years compared to 2010)? A brief summary would be sufficient for now. If I have further questions, I will ask in more detail.
2. Scope of work specification
Is it equally important for prefabricated houses to have detailed scope of work specifications as for solid construction?
3. Are there any standard or sample scope of work specifications available that one can use as a reference? By this, I mean anonymized examples from other homeowners during planning. I understand that these can never be 100% tailored to our project. The idea is just to have a benchmark for what a good, final scope of work specification should look like.
Best regards
Hauke
tekci.mustafa26 Jul 2015 09:50Hello, I could send you a building specification... from a manufacturer of solid houses.
Hankovic schrieb:
1. Prefabricated House vs. Solid House
Since we are not craftsmen and want the house to be built quickly, based on our current situation and knowledge, we would prefer to build a prefabricated house.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of both construction methods, based on the 2015 standard (e.g., insulation aspects for prefabricated houses have generally improved in the last 5 years compared to, say, 2010)? A brief summary would be enough for now. If I have further questions, I would go into more detail later. Prefabricated houses tend to be somewhat more expensive (by general consensus). They may also be considered less durable, with an estimated lifespan of around 50 years instead of 70 years (?). For prefabricated houses, it is important that you understand the scope of work description or get professional advice — especially regarding soundproofing and protection against summer heat (this doesn’t mean they are generally worse), the installation layer, and customization options. Just because the house is built quickly does not necessarily mean you can move in quickly either. Providers may have long lead times since their order books are often full — this is not necessarily different for solid house builders.
Hankovic schrieb:
2. Scope of Work Description
Is it equally important for prefabricated houses in terms of level of detail as it is for solid house construction? Yes, definitely — it is always extremely important because it defines exactly what you are buying.
Hankovic schrieb:
3. Are there any "sample" scope of work descriptions that one can use as a reference? By this, I mean examples from anonymized homeowners in the context of planning, etc. I understand that these cannot be 100% tailored to our building project. The idea is simply to have comparisons to understand what a good, final scope of work description should look like. As a starting point, you can look at the scope of work descriptions from different providers — including some from the higher price range, mid-range, and lower segments. Then try to understand where the differences lie. You might also want to have your scope of work description reviewed by an expert, read everything carefully — what is not included will cost extra or be open to interpretation — pay attention to all details.
Here’s a somewhat silly example: in our case, it says that rough boards will be laid over the insulation in the unfinished attic — but only for a specified number of square meters. However, the attic is actually 5m² (54ft²) larger, and the carpenter asked if we want to leave that area unfinished or pay the difference. This is not a big deal here since the additional cost is quite low, but it shows that you need to read the scope of work description carefully and consciously.
Hello,
thank you both for the quick response.
@mustafa: I would appreciate receiving the detailed scope of work – just to have a reference point. Thanks in advance.
@Belaelja:
Thank you for the information. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of fully booked schedules at the prefabricated house suppliers. Regarding the second point, I completely agree – meaning with construction experts and a thorough review of each item (what is not included will not be built – regardless of any previous promises).
Your example with the extra 5 sqm (54 sq ft) insulation especially shows that even small details can be overlooked. Although it might only have a minor impact on the budget, what happens with bigger issues? I will take your advice about obtaining the detailed scope of work, but I still hope to get examples of completed scope of work documents in order to compare them, rather than just the standard descriptions from suppliers (which likely should never be accepted as is since there is too much room for interpretation).
Two more questions came to mind while writing my reply.
1. Is it generally possible to include “penalties for late completion” in the detailed scope of work / contract, or is that not allowed? I mean, to ensure that the contractor has a clear incentive to finish the construction on time and works diligently?
2. A good payment schedule? By this I mean corresponding payments made when each phase of the construction is finally completed.
a) Is it possible to withhold 5% of the total payment at each stage?
b) A percentage distribution? For example, if the contractor receives only about 8% of the payment towards the end of the build but still has about 20% of the work left, there is little incentive to finish quickly since they might earn more money elsewhere and only come by occasionally.
Best regards and many thanks in advance
Hauke
thank you both for the quick response.
@mustafa: I would appreciate receiving the detailed scope of work – just to have a reference point. Thanks in advance.
@Belaelja:
Thank you for the information. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of fully booked schedules at the prefabricated house suppliers. Regarding the second point, I completely agree – meaning with construction experts and a thorough review of each item (what is not included will not be built – regardless of any previous promises).
Your example with the extra 5 sqm (54 sq ft) insulation especially shows that even small details can be overlooked. Although it might only have a minor impact on the budget, what happens with bigger issues? I will take your advice about obtaining the detailed scope of work, but I still hope to get examples of completed scope of work documents in order to compare them, rather than just the standard descriptions from suppliers (which likely should never be accepted as is since there is too much room for interpretation).
Two more questions came to mind while writing my reply.
1. Is it generally possible to include “penalties for late completion” in the detailed scope of work / contract, or is that not allowed? I mean, to ensure that the contractor has a clear incentive to finish the construction on time and works diligently?
2. A good payment schedule? By this I mean corresponding payments made when each phase of the construction is finally completed.
a) Is it possible to withhold 5% of the total payment at each stage?
b) A percentage distribution? For example, if the contractor receives only about 8% of the payment towards the end of the build but still has about 20% of the work left, there is little incentive to finish quickly since they might earn more money elsewhere and only come by occasionally.
Best regards and many thanks in advance
Hauke
It probably depends on who you are building with... you’re already assuming a certain bad faith on the part of the entire construction industry ;-)
Many things are possible contractually – withholding the last 5% until all defects have been fully remedied is actually quite common. Compensation payments for exceeding the warranty period also do exist. Just keep in mind that these are costs for the contractor as well, and they will somehow factor that into their price.
Payment based on construction progress is standard – there are even standard forms available from various associations for this. But remember, the risk in construction goes both ways – if the contractor advances all the costs for the roof and the client doesn’t pay, the contractor basically has to cover the entire roof upfront from their own capital... if they’re unlucky, several clients behave questionably, and suddenly they’re sitting on a quarter of a million dollars. That might not bother a large company, but a small builder who constructs around 10 houses a year certainly feels it. The result? They file for bankruptcy and your house is left as a shell – congratulations. My point is, the arrangement should be fair for both sides…
In general: if an offer seems too good to be true, look for the catch – even if it sounds cliché: good planning and good workmanship cost good money (or better yet, fair money).
Many things are possible contractually – withholding the last 5% until all defects have been fully remedied is actually quite common. Compensation payments for exceeding the warranty period also do exist. Just keep in mind that these are costs for the contractor as well, and they will somehow factor that into their price.
Payment based on construction progress is standard – there are even standard forms available from various associations for this. But remember, the risk in construction goes both ways – if the contractor advances all the costs for the roof and the client doesn’t pay, the contractor basically has to cover the entire roof upfront from their own capital... if they’re unlucky, several clients behave questionably, and suddenly they’re sitting on a quarter of a million dollars. That might not bother a large company, but a small builder who constructs around 10 houses a year certainly feels it. The result? They file for bankruptcy and your house is left as a shell – congratulations. My point is, the arrangement should be fair for both sides…
In general: if an offer seems too good to be true, look for the catch – even if it sounds cliché: good planning and good workmanship cost good money (or better yet, fair money).
H
Hausqualle26 Jul 2015 12:31BeHaElJa schrieb:
... you’re already implying a certain dishonesty on the part of the entire construction industry .. well, these associations don’t come out of nowhere; nowhere else is it so easy and quick to take money out of the pockets of uninformed clients… on top of that, many different companies are involved in a construction project, and every company wants to earn as much money as possible. The tricks they use to achieve this aren’t obvious to laypeople…BeHaElJa schrieb:
good planning and good craftsmanship cost good money (or better yet, fair money). .. absolutely right 😀BeHaElJa schrieb:
that the risk in construction goes both ways - .. absolutely right as well ..Similar topics