ᐅ Architect Improperly Estimates Brick Facade Area

Created on: 12 May 2019 10:45
S
Schlenk-Bär
We are not building a house yet but are talking to as many homeowners as possible and reading extensively in this forum to prepare ourselves and at least avoid the biggest mistakes.

Yesterday, we had an interesting discussion with friends who have since abandoned their house construction because they became frustrated. I would like your opinion on one point from the discussion:

The architect prepared a tender for the brick facade. He calculated a certain area x and included this in the tender documents. The homeowners awarded the contract to a company. Only afterward did it become clear that the facade area was much smaller than stated in the tender. The facade company now wants to be paid for the difference. Who is liable here? The homeowners awarded the contract and initially face the problem. However, they relied on the architect’s professional expertise. Can they hold the architect liable?

How can such a misunderstanding be avoided? As homeowners, you can’t verify everything, can you?

Thanks in advance for your opinions.
L
Lumpi_LE
15 May 2019 16:05
As stated, "this should not be done."
Z
Zaba12
15 May 2019 16:08
Lumpi_LE schrieb:

As mentioned, "this should not be done."

...with a general contractor.
M
Maria16
15 May 2019 17:04
This kind of thing https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/Gäste-wc-decke-abhaengen-oder-Rohr-verkleiden.31081/

also occurs with subcontracting. When working with subcontractors, you can approach things quite differently than with a general contractor, but the bigger the change, the more problems or at least effort it causes. That’s just how it is.
N
Nordlys
15 May 2019 20:57
Exactly. If you want to keep your costs under control, you should plan carefully beforehand and then follow that plan strictly. Every change is a potential source of errors and a reason for price increases. K.
L
Lumpi_LE
16 May 2019 08:46
Zaba12 schrieb:

...with a general contractor.
No, always. Obviously, it often works with a simple single-family house, but problems are usually inevitable.
There have already been several threads in this forum proving that.
A larger project where two or three companies thought it could be done in a high-end way is, for example, the BER airport.
B
bibi80
16 May 2019 09:51
I am curious whether the critics built with a general contractor or by hiring separate trades.

I don’t understand where the problem lies from your point of view.

If changes are made during the shell construction phase, it doesn’t affect the following trades at all, since they do not work simultaneously with the shell builder.

If the windows are changed, it doesn’t matter to the electrician or tile setter.

Of course, there are certain times when different tasks overlap.

But those who are present during the separate trade procurement can have an influence.