ᐅ The architect has become emotional and does not want to continue. How should I proceed now?
Created on: 11 Mar 2026 17:41
O
Ohropax
Hello,
I hired an architect in the Stuttgart metropolitan area to design a single-family house and submit the building permit / planning permission application (service phases 1-4). The architect immediately received an advance payment of 15,000 euros without doing anything.
Service phases 1-2 were basically skipped; at least, I did not receive a project schedule, summaries, cost estimates, or a timetable. She basically spent all her time working only on the design.
The first design was unusable! Our budget is 750,000 euros, which was communicated both verbally and in writing. According to three construction companies, realizing the design would have required 1.25 million euros.
So a new design was created, but it contained so many practical mistakes (corridor too narrow, wardrobe not deep enough, kitchen wall too narrow for a sliding door, ceiling heights too low, bathrooms too small), and many more. An unbelievable number of errors, which you wouldn’t normally expect from an architect (at least I didn’t). The design is now in its 10th iteration because we repeatedly had to point out illogical corners, incorrectly placed windows, etc. Many of the changes were contributed by construction companies and included in the design because it was otherwise not suitable.
It was agreed with the architect that the remaining amount of about 15,000 euros would be paid before submitting the building permit / planning permission application. However, this is too risky for us because the architect’s work is very poor technically, and we fear the application will not be approved as is. The architect charged fee zone IV for a simple single-family house and noted this in the invoice. Is that correct?
Our proposal is to pay the 15,000 euros only after approval. The architect has now completely lost it, refuses to submit the application, and demands 12,000 euros for the design.
I actually did the design myself, and she just used the software. I was not advised. She simply implemented things without pointing out poor practicality. As a layperson, I am not familiar with this and expect advice; that is part of the architect’s job, isn’t it?
What should I do now? I am emotionally exhausted...
I hired an architect in the Stuttgart metropolitan area to design a single-family house and submit the building permit / planning permission application (service phases 1-4). The architect immediately received an advance payment of 15,000 euros without doing anything.
Service phases 1-2 were basically skipped; at least, I did not receive a project schedule, summaries, cost estimates, or a timetable. She basically spent all her time working only on the design.
The first design was unusable! Our budget is 750,000 euros, which was communicated both verbally and in writing. According to three construction companies, realizing the design would have required 1.25 million euros.
So a new design was created, but it contained so many practical mistakes (corridor too narrow, wardrobe not deep enough, kitchen wall too narrow for a sliding door, ceiling heights too low, bathrooms too small), and many more. An unbelievable number of errors, which you wouldn’t normally expect from an architect (at least I didn’t). The design is now in its 10th iteration because we repeatedly had to point out illogical corners, incorrectly placed windows, etc. Many of the changes were contributed by construction companies and included in the design because it was otherwise not suitable.
It was agreed with the architect that the remaining amount of about 15,000 euros would be paid before submitting the building permit / planning permission application. However, this is too risky for us because the architect’s work is very poor technically, and we fear the application will not be approved as is. The architect charged fee zone IV for a simple single-family house and noted this in the invoice. Is that correct?
Our proposal is to pay the 15,000 euros only after approval. The architect has now completely lost it, refuses to submit the application, and demands 12,000 euros for the design.
I actually did the design myself, and she just used the software. I was not advised. She simply implemented things without pointing out poor practicality. As a layperson, I am not familiar with this and expect advice; that is part of the architect’s job, isn’t it?
What should I do now? I am emotionally exhausted...
Ohropax schrieb:
It's a pity that you no longer have time to take on my contract. No, there are always gaps, but:
11ant schrieb:
Some clients are better not acquired. From your communication here, I had implicitly concluded that you were no longer interested in my help. Until a few posts ago, I still was (with upfront payment, as the project sounds at least interesting and probably has some potential for my improvements). Meanwhile, you may consider my (always non-binding) offer as withdrawn. This is about job satisfaction—whom you enjoy working for. As you already said:
Ohropax schrieb:
When acquiring clients, you have to be verrrry friendly, otherwise, it won’t work. I wouldn’t need quite so many "r"s, but everything has its limits; and the times when clients chose their providers have long been changing. Some “King Customer” has barely noticed the end of the nobility—or at least chooses not to see it. The current market reality is (to the dismay of Heinrich Haffenloher) that service providers, even more than retailers, only want to deal with friendly customers.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
11ant schrieb:
that you were no longer interested in my help at all. Until just a few posts ago, I still was (with advance payment, the project sounds interesting after all and seems to have some potential for my improvement) LOL, what a desperate person are you? Is this an independent forum or a catchment area for embarrassing, emotional small business owners?
11ant schrieb:
with advance payment Didn’t you pay attention? The contractor’s obligation to perform in advance applies! I might have wanted to hire you (maybe), but you called me “stupid” very quickly, and that is not a good basis for a trusting business relationship.M
MachsSelbst15 Mar 2026 20:56No, in Germany freedom of contract applies as long as the contract is not against good morals. This means, of course, that a contract can also include an agreement for you to make a down payment or to pay the entire amount upon signing the contract. That’s what happened here, and it’s not illegal.
When I had to hire a window installer to adjust the windows, they also required 100% prepayment. And not all online retailers ship goods on invoice, meaning you pay only after receiving the goods. Most require you to provide a credit card that is charged when the goods are shipped, or use PayPal or similar services.
The idea that businesses must provide services before receiving payment is simply nonsense.
When I had to hire a window installer to adjust the windows, they also required 100% prepayment. And not all online retailers ship goods on invoice, meaning you pay only after receiving the goods. Most require you to provide a credit card that is charged when the goods are shipped, or use PayPal or similar services.
The idea that businesses must provide services before receiving payment is simply nonsense.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
No, in Germany there is contractual freedom as long as the contract is not against public policy. So, of course, you can agree in a contract that you make a down payment or pay the full amount upon signing. That happened here, and it’s not illegal. That does not apply to the relationship between a business and a consumer, or to pre-formulated contract terms. I had this explained to me by a lawyer.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
When I had to call a window installer to adjust the windows, they also wanted 100% payment in advance. People want all sorts of things...
Ohropax schrieb:
pre-formulated contract terms. The question is what exactly counts as such. Just because someone presents a written contract draft does not necessarily mean it qualifies as a "pre-formulated contract term" according to the definition. You neither had to accept it nor were you obliged to renegotiate, etc.