ᐅ Comparability of Costs: Architect vs. General Contractor

Created on: 4 Mar 2021 16:57
A
askforafriend
Hello dear forum,

We are currently in the planning phase for a single-family house. We have requested quotes from several general contractors and have also spoken with a very approachable architect. We would be happy to present our building project (BVH) in detail at a later stage!

Overall, we much prefer the transparency and approach of the architect compared to the initial consultation with the general contractor. We understand that over time, we will also speak with an architect/planner through the general contractor who will discuss details with us. We have thoroughly researched the advantages and disadvantages both in this forum and through various guides.

At this stage, our main focus is on comparing the cost estimates from the general contractors versus the architect. The general contractor states the costs as a fixed price (based on the building and scope of services description) plus our additional requests (extra electrical outlets, KfW standard, etc.). A rough total for the house including additional requests was, for example, 410,000 euros. This naturally also includes architectural/planning/engineering services according to the scope of work description.

Land leveling.
Discussions about your building project together with you during planning and construction meetings. Preparation of building permit/planning permission documents at a scale of 1:100 in the required number of copies for the authorities.
You will receive an additional set of plans for your personal records.
Development of working drawings (scale 1:50) as well as any necessary detailed drawings.
Creation of structural engineering plans (standard structural design for the respective house type) including any required building physics reports for thermal and fire protection.
Calculation of energy demand and preparation of the energy performance certificate. A copy will be provided for your records.
Preparation of public funding applications, if required.
Site management and construction supervision up to handover of the house.
Support during the warranty period.

When we first met with the architect, he took out a book labeled BKI to provide a rough estimate of the feasibility of the building project based on this data. He calculated roughly 3,000 euros per square meter and 150 square meters (1,615 square feet) of living space, resulting in a total of 450,000 euros.
The big question now is: Does this amount exclude his fees or do these average construction costs per square meter already include the services mentioned above? This might be a somewhat naive question, but it’s really unclear to us. Is there a list of costs that are included in these average rates?

We have an appointment with him next week for a more detailed cost assessment.

Thank you very much for your feedback, and I wish you a pleasant week.
11ant5 Mar 2021 17:56
askforafriend schrieb:

We are building in a rural area within the triangle between Nuremberg, Ingolstadt, and Augsburg.
I see. I wasn’t asking out of curiosity, but you’ve already found something:
askforafriend schrieb:

Next week we will get a somewhat more detailed cost estimate from the architect – he needs it for his bid submission. Then I can share both here again!
... however, I still haven’t understood which bid submission is meant there.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
askforafriend5 Mar 2021 18:17
11ant schrieb:

Oh, I wasn’t asking out of curiosity, but you have already found something:
... however, I still haven’t understood which submission of offer is being referred to.

Well – he will surely tell us how much he charges for his services 🙂
Y
ypg
5 Mar 2021 19:36
@OWLer
Great avatar!
Y
ypg
5 Mar 2021 21:10
askforafriend schrieb:

We will probably go for a steam-based option like this – if at all 🙂
Yep, the first $10,000 are already going that way. Oops, a panoramic fireplace? $15,000. 😉
askforafriend5 Mar 2021 22:08
ypg schrieb:

Yep, the first 10,000€ are going there. Oops, a panoramic fireplace? 15,000. 😉

Where do you get the 10,000€ from 😀 I just found one from Kaminlicht.de for 1,390€ including shipping. And what exactly is a panoramic fireplace? 😉
Y
ypg
5 Mar 2021 22:56
askforafriend schrieb:

Where do you get the 10,000€ from 😀 I just found one here from Kaminlicht.de for 1,390€ including shipping. And what exactly is a panoramic fireplace 😉
Ethanol? That’s not really worth mentioning as a fireplace here. It’s just decoration!
And don’t start with an aquarium, then this thread turns into a joke.