We have the following problem and are really at a loss now:
We started building our house in June 2021 and hired a construction company as the general contractor to deliver the turnkey project up to the finishing stage. Everything went smoothly at first, but construction then stalled due to delivery difficulties with steel/reinforcement for the intermediate ceiling. Over the winter, very little progress was made (roof, windows, and completion of brickwork). By March, the shell was finished and the roof was on.
The big problem is that the construction company continues to work at a snail's pace, which we can no longer tolerate. It has taken them a full 4 months just to complete all installations (electrical, plumbing). By the end of June, these were finally finished. To explain: they brought in an electrician from the local area who, after his regular 40-hour job, worked only about 1-2 hours in the evenings at our site. Often, he didn’t feel like working after his day job because he also wants to go home at some point. So, it dragged on forever. We didn’t even know this but found out from neighbors. This is not what we understood as subcontracting, as originally discussed. And this has been the pattern throughout. We constantly call and visit; 1. we hardly see anyone working, and 2. we are repeatedly promised, “Next week we’ll speed up,” “Our house is the top priority,” or “On day X, the interior plaster or screed will be done.” But it never happens.
We have been building for 13 months now and still haven’t even reached the stage of rough floor completion.
Originally, according to the schedule from June 2021, completion was planned for May 2022, assuming no setbacks like lockdowns. We were aware of that but made it clear at contract signing that we needed to move in by this summer at the latest (August 2022). They assured us this would work. Then they shifted to summer or June/July (due to material delivery issues).
In May, we approached them because it was already clear to us that finishing in June/July was impossible at their pace. We explained our situation: we absolutely must move in by the end of August. They said they would finish by the end of August, that they were now working continuously. We were promised drying equipment for the screed to catch up, all electricity costs covered as a goodwill gesture, and that screed and interior plaster would be done by the end of May. Then, we went on a two-week vacation in early June and came back shocked. We went to the house and nothing had happened. Zero progress. Just last week, we finally got the interior plaster. No sign of underfloor heating or screed. And the house is supposed to be handed over turnkey in about 6 weeks?
I can no longer listen to their stories and empty promises. Especially since we have an 18-month-old toddler and I am currently 5 months pregnant. So just staying in a hotel or with friends/family isn’t easy in this situation (and who pays for that?). The kitchen planner also refuses to take measurements without the screed, so we will be without a kitchen for weeks. A great situation with a child and baby. Our relationship is also suffering massively. This is the biggest source of conflict. It’s all a nightmare.
I already wanted to go to a lawyer, but what good would that do now if they can’t finish? The harshest letter won’t change anything. I can’t even count how many times we call and visit. It’s always the same empty talk. We didn’t agree on any contractual penalties due to Covid lockdowns since they couldn’t influence the construction then.
I am considering proposing that they complete the rough floor stage (screed) and then we finish the house ourselves with professional tradespeople. I think we would be much faster than them. Does anyone know what else we can do?
Thanks for reading!
We started building our house in June 2021 and hired a construction company as the general contractor to deliver the turnkey project up to the finishing stage. Everything went smoothly at first, but construction then stalled due to delivery difficulties with steel/reinforcement for the intermediate ceiling. Over the winter, very little progress was made (roof, windows, and completion of brickwork). By March, the shell was finished and the roof was on.
The big problem is that the construction company continues to work at a snail's pace, which we can no longer tolerate. It has taken them a full 4 months just to complete all installations (electrical, plumbing). By the end of June, these were finally finished. To explain: they brought in an electrician from the local area who, after his regular 40-hour job, worked only about 1-2 hours in the evenings at our site. Often, he didn’t feel like working after his day job because he also wants to go home at some point. So, it dragged on forever. We didn’t even know this but found out from neighbors. This is not what we understood as subcontracting, as originally discussed. And this has been the pattern throughout. We constantly call and visit; 1. we hardly see anyone working, and 2. we are repeatedly promised, “Next week we’ll speed up,” “Our house is the top priority,” or “On day X, the interior plaster or screed will be done.” But it never happens.
We have been building for 13 months now and still haven’t even reached the stage of rough floor completion.
Originally, according to the schedule from June 2021, completion was planned for May 2022, assuming no setbacks like lockdowns. We were aware of that but made it clear at contract signing that we needed to move in by this summer at the latest (August 2022). They assured us this would work. Then they shifted to summer or June/July (due to material delivery issues).
In May, we approached them because it was already clear to us that finishing in June/July was impossible at their pace. We explained our situation: we absolutely must move in by the end of August. They said they would finish by the end of August, that they were now working continuously. We were promised drying equipment for the screed to catch up, all electricity costs covered as a goodwill gesture, and that screed and interior plaster would be done by the end of May. Then, we went on a two-week vacation in early June and came back shocked. We went to the house and nothing had happened. Zero progress. Just last week, we finally got the interior plaster. No sign of underfloor heating or screed. And the house is supposed to be handed over turnkey in about 6 weeks?
I can no longer listen to their stories and empty promises. Especially since we have an 18-month-old toddler and I am currently 5 months pregnant. So just staying in a hotel or with friends/family isn’t easy in this situation (and who pays for that?). The kitchen planner also refuses to take measurements without the screed, so we will be without a kitchen for weeks. A great situation with a child and baby. Our relationship is also suffering massively. This is the biggest source of conflict. It’s all a nightmare.
I already wanted to go to a lawyer, but what good would that do now if they can’t finish? The harshest letter won’t change anything. I can’t even count how many times we call and visit. It’s always the same empty talk. We didn’t agree on any contractual penalties due to Covid lockdowns since they couldn’t influence the construction then.
I am considering proposing that they complete the rough floor stage (screed) and then we finish the house ourselves with professional tradespeople. I think we would be much faster than them. Does anyone know what else we can do?
Thanks for reading!
N
Neubau202218 Jul 2022 08:31hanse987 schrieb:
For the money a lawyer costs, I would quickly hire a construction supervisor/inspector. I believe you would benefit more from that. This is somehow common; too common; the situation where the general contractor is blindly trusted, especially with high six-figure sums involved. An independent construction supervisor must be involved from the very beginning. What if the concrete slab was done incorrectly? That can no longer be fixed. The $3,000 can be saved more easily on a nicer bathtub than on the external construction supervisor. But I will definitely write this several more times in the forum...
And you're saying this as someone who didn’t have many problems.
But you’re right. My expert was called conflict-averse at the shopping center around the corner. And yet I needed him several times because otherwise, my general contractor would have completely taken advantage of me.
But you’re right. My expert was called conflict-averse at the shopping center around the corner. And yet I needed him several times because otherwise, my general contractor would have completely taken advantage of me.
I find it concerning to strongly urge against seeking legal advice here. It’s not about rushing to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit immediately. My recommendation would be to consult a lawyer now to review the contract and the possible options arising from it. The construction company doesn’t need to know about this yet. It will cost a few hundred, which in my opinion is money well spent—even in case the December deadline cannot be met either.
At the same time, I agree with the other forum members who advocate arranging an interim solution immediately, while staying in communication with the construction company and continuing to apply pressure (initially without threatening legal action).
It’s a really unfortunate situation, and I wish you all the best and lots of perseverance!
At the same time, I agree with the other forum members who advocate arranging an interim solution immediately, while staying in communication with the construction company and continuing to apply pressure (initially without threatening legal action).
It’s a really unfortunate situation, and I wish you all the best and lots of perseverance!
N
Neubau202218 Jul 2022 08:42Tolentino schrieb:
And you say that as someone who didn’t have many problems.
But you’re right. My building inspector was even called conflict-avoidant at the shopping center around the corner. And yet I needed him several times because otherwise my general contractor would have completely taken advantage of me. Not exactly. There were a few “minor issues.” But it’s said for a reason that there is no construction site without mistakes. After all, humans are involved, not robots. And robots would still need to be programmed by humans, so they are also prone to errors. An external construction supervisor doesn’t prevent mistakes entirely, but it reduces the chance that they go unnoticed 😎
F
Fleckenzwerg21 Jul 2022 10:18Yes, having an expert involved from the beginning would probably have been advisable. But here you also have to separate things: If the previous work was done properly (which, without an expert, cannot really be determined anymore at this point—keyword: foundation slab), then an expert wouldn’t have had any complaints either. The main point of contention here is “only” the schedule. And if the completion condition of May 22 was a deal-breaker for you, you should have insisted on including this date as a binding completion deadline in the contract. Everything else is just empty talk. If the general contractor (GC) didn’t want to agree to that, I would have been cautious in your position. If May 22 was supposed to be so easy to meet, why wasn’t it written into the contract? If delays occur that are clearly not the GC’s fault, then they are also off the hook for exceeding the deadline. But now we are where we are. How about the progress payments and the 5% retention that you are entitled to under the building code? Or are there guarantees? The latter are probably difficult to use as leverage, especially since it is not yet December 2022.
Perhaps the most exciting question now is: How can one ensure and apply pressure to make sure the house is truly completed by December 22?
When is it clear that this deadline can no longer be met?
Is there a schedule outlining what will happen and when until the end of the year?
When is it clear that this deadline can no longer be met?
Is there a schedule outlining what will happen and when until the end of the year?
Similar topics