ᐅ Architect and General Contractor Combined?

Hello,

Does anyone have experience with this combination in house construction: a freelance architect who designs the house and submits the building permit/planning permission applications, but instead of contracting each trade separately, the house is built by a general contractor, and the architect is only paid hourly as a construction supervisor?

What do you think? Has anyone chosen this hybrid approach before, and if so, what are your experiences and thoughts? How do you see the costs involved?

Thanks & best regards

Brief follow-up questions:

Who is responsible for the detailed planning?

Who is intended to act as the construction manager according to the regional building regulations? What exactly is he supposed to inspect on an "hourly basis"? How many hours are you thinking about?

Of course, this hybrid approach can work if the architect agrees and takes on at least the scope of services required by public building law...

Here is an excerpt from the model building code. Similar wording can be found in every regional building regulation.


§ 52 Fundamental Duties
When constructing, modifying, changing the use of, or demolishing structures, the client and, within their scope of responsibilities, other parties involved in the building project are responsible for complying with the public-law regulations.

§ 53 Client
(1) 1The client must appoint suitable participants for the preparation, supervision, and execution of a construction project that is not exempt from procedure, as well as for the demolition of structures, in accordance with §§ 54 to 56, unless the client is qualified to fulfill the obligations under these regulations themselves.
2The client is also responsible for submitting the necessary applications, notifications, and proofs required by public-law regulations.
3Before construction begins, they must notify the building authority of the name of the construction manager, and during construction, notify any changes of this person immediately in writing. ...

§ 56 Construction Manager
(1) 1The construction manager must ensure that the construction work is carried out in accordance with public-law requirements and issue the necessary instructions.
2As part of this responsibility, the construction manager must pay particular attention to the safe technical operation of the construction site, especially ensuring the work of the contractors is coordinated without hazards.
3The liability of the contractors remains unaffected.
(2) 1The construction manager must possess the expertise and experience required for the task.
2If they lack the necessary expertise in certain specialized areas, suitable specialist construction managers must be involved.
3These specialists will then assume the responsibilities of the construction manager in those areas.
4The construction manager must coordinate the activities of the specialist construction managers with their own duties.

Thanks for the information – the general contractor would take over site management, and the architect would basically act as a consultant, similar to an expert inspector...

But do you think this makes sense, or should we work directly with the architect and handle trades individually from the start?

Thanks & regards

In general, I prefer contracting all construction services separately...

However, if you want to build with a general contractor (GC) for any reason, it is definitely advisable to have an additional expert involved (e.g., an architect)!

Would it be possible to list the advantages and disadvantages of the two construction approaches (general contractor and architect) again, in a way that’s easy to understand for laypeople? I’ve read quite a bit about this already, but a concise overview would be very helpful and, I think, always interesting for new home builders... On the other hand, I understand that a general comparison is difficult, as it always depends on the individual case. But it would still be nice...

Thanks & best regards
Ramade

Well, then let’s try to clarify the basic issue a bit …

Should it be a solid construction house?