ᐅ Comparability of Costs: Architect vs. General Contractor
Created on: 4 Mar 2021 16:57
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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.
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.
askforafriend5 Mar 2021 10:47ypg schrieb:
Yes, then it is very likely due to the situation itself for the general contractor!
Concrete staircases are either cast in place or, for simplicity, delivered as prefabricated elements and lifted into the building with a crane. I’m not sure if the crane has to come for each floor. The general contractor will also have good terms with the stair manufacturer. For the concrete stairs, he would now have to hire a specialist, obtain pricing, and sort out the logistics. And then there is the building structure, which may need to be adapted to the staircase. Decoupling from the staircase? I lack some technical knowledge here, but all of this can affect the pricing. Yes, that’s what the architect also told us in the initial meeting. Regardless of whether it actually costs more or less in reality, it is a change for the general contractor—so there are planning costs and risk premiums because normally they don’t build or are unfamiliar with this, or haven’t negotiated with subcontractors for it. If we were to find a general contractor where we have no changes because the scope of work matches our requirements, this probably wouldn’t be an issue for us. By the way, we have already contacted two general contractors who build about 10–15 houses per year; they would be suitable, but this year they have no more capacity left to build.
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Myrna_Loy5 Mar 2021 11:10askforafriend schrieb:
This is the same with our general contractor (GC) – any deviation from the standard leads to unexplained extra costs. Another example is the door in anthracite instead of white, which is supposed to cost an additional 2,300€ extra. A white door with installation is already included in the scope of work – anthracite doors don’t necessarily cost more than white ones if you look around. Such surcharges result from the GC’s purchasing policy. If they buy 10,000 white doors from door manufacturer X, they get them at price x. The larger the quantity and the simpler the color, the cheaper the price = higher margin. If now 50 doors in anthracite have to be ordered, they are more expensive as a small quantity.
Myrna_Loy schrieb:
Such price surcharges result from the general contractor’s purchasing policy. If they order 10,000 white doors from door manufacturer X, they get them at price X. The larger the quantity and the simpler the color, the cheaper the price and thus the higher the margin. If now 50 doors in anthracite have to be ordered, they are more expensive as a smaller batch.But not with a general contractor who builds 15 to 30 houses per year...Tolentino schrieb:
But not with a general contractor who builds 15–30 houses a year...20 houses with 12 doors each already make 240...If they offer two or three types, they quickly reach around 1,000 doors...
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RotorMotor5 Mar 2021 11:30Malunga schrieb:
20 houses with 12 doors each already make 240...
If he then offers two or three types, he’s already up to 1000 doors...12 front doors per house are quite rare.Similar topics