ᐅ Basement Planning for Prefabricated Homes – Outsourcing? What to Consider?
Created on: 7 Apr 2020 13:15
E
exto1791
Hello,
I am currently planning a construction project for a townhouse built to KfW40+ standards, with about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) plus a basement.
The basement is a topic I have not wanted to focus on so far, but it is definitely necessary and, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects here. I also believe that a significant amount of money can be saved by approaching this correctly.
For my plot, I need a waterproof basement with a “white tank” (watertight concrete construction) suitable for water pressure—essentially, the most expensive and complex type of basement required.
So far, all prefab home suppliers I have contacted have offered turnkey solutions including the basement. However, I have no idea what the cost of a basement might be if contracted through an excavation or civil engineering company, independent of the prefab house supplier. Is that even an option? Should I be looking into this separately, or is it better to have everything done by one provider? Is it possible to save money this way? According to the prefab home suppliers, there is hardly any price difference here (understandably, they need to cover their commission). Still, I think that especially with a basement like this, a considerable amount of money could be saved.
Have you had experience with prefab homes and basements? How did you approach it? What should I pay attention to when building a basement?
I would be grateful for any help!
We are already quite far into the house planning stage and have detailed offers, but the basement still feels like an area I haven’t fully dared to tackle yet. Perhaps without reason?
I look forward to your advice!
Best regards
Simon
I am currently planning a construction project for a townhouse built to KfW40+ standards, with about 140m² (1,507 sq ft) plus a basement.
The basement is a topic I have not wanted to focus on so far, but it is definitely necessary and, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects here. I also believe that a significant amount of money can be saved by approaching this correctly.
For my plot, I need a waterproof basement with a “white tank” (watertight concrete construction) suitable for water pressure—essentially, the most expensive and complex type of basement required.
So far, all prefab home suppliers I have contacted have offered turnkey solutions including the basement. However, I have no idea what the cost of a basement might be if contracted through an excavation or civil engineering company, independent of the prefab house supplier. Is that even an option? Should I be looking into this separately, or is it better to have everything done by one provider? Is it possible to save money this way? According to the prefab home suppliers, there is hardly any price difference here (understandably, they need to cover their commission). Still, I think that especially with a basement like this, a considerable amount of money could be saved.
Have you had experience with prefab homes and basements? How did you approach it? What should I pay attention to when building a basement?
I would be grateful for any help!
We are already quite far into the house planning stage and have detailed offers, but the basement still feels like an area I haven’t fully dared to tackle yet. Perhaps without reason?
I look forward to your advice!
Best regards
Simon
Basically, should you trust the prefab house provider when it comes to building the basement and not outsource it to others?
But if I know which basement builder my prefab house company works with, can I not casually request a quote from one of the largest prefab basement suppliers in Germany and have it subcontracted externally?
That’s what I’m concerned about... I think you could save some commissions and additional charges by asking directly to a basement builder.
I guess it’s easier to just let the prefab house provider handle everything... sure, that’s the simplest way, but probably also the most expensive, right?
Am I approaching this the wrong way, or is this something feasible?
How did you handle this with your prefab house providers? Everything completely from one source (basement, garage, landscaping, photovoltaics, etc.) or did you involve external specialists for certain parts?
But if I know which basement builder my prefab house company works with, can I not casually request a quote from one of the largest prefab basement suppliers in Germany and have it subcontracted externally?
That’s what I’m concerned about... I think you could save some commissions and additional charges by asking directly to a basement builder.
I guess it’s easier to just let the prefab house provider handle everything... sure, that’s the simplest way, but probably also the most expensive, right?
Am I approaching this the wrong way, or is this something feasible?
How did you handle this with your prefab house providers? Everything completely from one source (basement, garage, landscaping, photovoltaics, etc.) or did you involve external specialists for certain parts?
exto1791 schrieb:
I think you could save certain fees and additional charges by contacting a basement builder directly. Batch size of several hundred basements per year versus batch size of one. Who do you think gets the better price here?
exto1791 schrieb:
The simplest way, but probably also the most expensive, right? exto1791 schrieb:
Am I heading in the wrong direction here, or is this feasible? Well, usually people ask themselves this before deciding on a turnkey/prefabricated home provider.
exto1791 schrieb:
How did you handle this with your prefabricated home providers? Everything completely from one source (basement, garage, landscaping, photovoltaic system, etc.), or did you also hire specialized external contractors for different parts? What’s the point of building a prefabricated home if you still outsource everything externally?
Five years ago, we were at the same point. None of the major prefabricated home manufacturers (Okal Haus, Streif Haus, Bien-Zenker) were willing to place their house on someone else’s basement. The overlaps, especially in service and warranty issues, were too risky for them, and ultimately also not acceptable for us.
The question is simple: where do I draw the line? How far do I go?
Garage, patio roof, general outdoor areas and driveways, basement, etc.
Everything from one source definitely doesn’t have to be the case, and you often hear that you can save money on one project or another.
As I said, I can’t “yet” say exactly how it will be with the basement. However, I have also read that subcontracting the basement can save costs! So this is not completely unfounded.
Of course, the advantage of a prefab house is that I don’t have 100 different trades involved, but you can definitely consider bringing in a specialist company for certain tasks or not.
Prefab house companies always come with their warranty story... even for a pergola that a specialist company attaches to the wall, they bring that up... I sometimes find that a bit ridiculous.
Garage, patio roof, general outdoor areas and driveways, basement, etc.
Everything from one source definitely doesn’t have to be the case, and you often hear that you can save money on one project or another.
As I said, I can’t “yet” say exactly how it will be with the basement. However, I have also read that subcontracting the basement can save costs! So this is not completely unfounded.
Of course, the advantage of a prefab house is that I don’t have 100 different trades involved, but you can definitely consider bringing in a specialist company for certain tasks or not.
Prefab house companies always come with their warranty story... even for a pergola that a specialist company attaches to the wall, they bring that up... I sometimes find that a bit ridiculous.
exto1791 schrieb:
How far do I go?That is the question at the very beginning. The success or failure of the entire project depends on how you answer it. A highly customized architect-designed solution with separate contracting? Solid turnkey construction? Or a highly standardized prefab home solution? With all variations in between. Trying to rearrange the best parts between these systems afterwards usually fails.exto1791 schrieb:
Garage, patio roof, generally landscaping and driveway access, basement, etc...Well, the garage, your sunshade, and the landscaping have nothing to do with the actual house construction; the basement literally forms the foundation of house building, so you are comparing apples and oranges.exto1791 schrieb:
that subcontracting the basement can save costs!One more tip: With subcontracting, you almost always can save costs. Unfortunately, the overlap between subcontracting and prefab homes is minimal.exto1791 schrieb:
a specialized companyEven for your prefab basement, the provider has it built by a specialized company. Around here, for example, Hanse works with Glatthaar. I believe the contracts include clauses that prevent Glatthaar from building basements for Hanse houses without Hanse’s involvement.exto1791 schrieb:
The prefab companies always come with their warranty stories...Of course they do. You want to cut into their margin, and they don’t cooperate but play their trump card. Welcome to prefab home construction.exto1791 schrieb:
I also find that partly ridiculous.Then again, the question: Why choose prefab home? Everything you mention here clearly points to "not prefab."
exto1791 schrieb:
The question is simple: where do I draw the line?I would and could build the garage detached and independent, as well as the outdoor areas. A slab on ground (SOG) is an interface that is also always a fitting spot, so I would avoid any cutting or adjustments there.exto1791 schrieb:
Of course, the advantage of a prefabricated house is that I don’t have 100 different trades,You have the same number of trades, just not the same number of contractors. A prefabricated house isn’t less complex; it’s not something simply plotted by a 3D printer.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
I totally get what you mean...
We chose a prefab house because I don’t want to coordinate dozens of trades or wait two years for my house just because the planning is too complicated and time-consuming.
I also don’t want to constantly supervise the construction or spend weeks at the building site.
With a prefab house, I don’t have to deal with any of that, and that’s a good thing.
My main goal is just to outsource a few things to save costs and keep the effort on my part to a minimum...
But yes, it probably makes sense to do that for things like the landscaping, garage, etc., while having the entire house structure planned and built by the prefab house provider.
We chose a prefab house because I don’t want to coordinate dozens of trades or wait two years for my house just because the planning is too complicated and time-consuming.
I also don’t want to constantly supervise the construction or spend weeks at the building site.
With a prefab house, I don’t have to deal with any of that, and that’s a good thing.
My main goal is just to outsource a few things to save costs and keep the effort on my part to a minimum...
But yes, it probably makes sense to do that for things like the landscaping, garage, etc., while having the entire house structure planned and built by the prefab house provider.
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