ᐅ Comparison Between Architect and General Contractor or Turnkey Construction
Created on: 23 Jul 2024 19:44
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Fabian3000
Hello everyone,
as is well known, general contractors or construction companies offering turnkey houses usually charge a certain percentage of the house price (in my experience 10-15%) for taking over the warranty, the risk of cost increases, site management, coordination of trades, and so on. The costs for an architect are in a similar range, but in my opinion they also offer additional advantages such as tendering the trades, independent site supervision, and ensuring that exactly what was planned in the design is carried out. A disadvantage might be that you don’t have a fixed price. Therefore, my question is: why would one choose to build with a general contractor? Am I missing something?
Thank you very much and best regards
Fabian3000
as is well known, general contractors or construction companies offering turnkey houses usually charge a certain percentage of the house price (in my experience 10-15%) for taking over the warranty, the risk of cost increases, site management, coordination of trades, and so on. The costs for an architect are in a similar range, but in my opinion they also offer additional advantages such as tendering the trades, independent site supervision, and ensuring that exactly what was planned in the design is carried out. A disadvantage might be that you don’t have a fixed price. Therefore, my question is: why would one choose to build with a general contractor? Am I missing something?
Thank you very much and best regards
Fabian3000
F
Fabian300024 Jul 2024 14:42Ok, thanks for your assessment!
Hello Fabian,
a brief feedback based on my current experience.
We had our house designed and approved by an architect, plus LV6 (specifications for subcontractor tendering).
Originally, we planned to carry out the project with a general contractor (GC) based on the specifications and construction plans, but we quickly found out that the quoted prices were sometimes absurd. There were also price differences of up to €200,000.
Since I am fortunate to know some acquaintances and friends in the construction industry, we have now switched to managing the project through individual contracts, while limiting the number of trades to coordinate by grouping them under one company. For example, demolition, shell construction, and roofing were done by one company, as was the interior finishing. Windows, facade, heating, plumbing, etc. were contracted individually.
The advantage for me is that I am now able to make changes even during the construction phase (of course, this always costs money) and was able to achieve significantly better prices.
The downside, however, is definitely the considerably increased workload due to tendering, coordination (despite having a site manager), and the expected longer construction period.
There are certainly other pros and cons, but basically, you have to weigh what works best for you. Up to now, despite the stress for my wife and me, this has been the right approach.
Also, having an expert or surveyor should always be mandatory. I am not a professional and cannot immediately identify defects.
a brief feedback based on my current experience.
We had our house designed and approved by an architect, plus LV6 (specifications for subcontractor tendering).
Originally, we planned to carry out the project with a general contractor (GC) based on the specifications and construction plans, but we quickly found out that the quoted prices were sometimes absurd. There were also price differences of up to €200,000.
Since I am fortunate to know some acquaintances and friends in the construction industry, we have now switched to managing the project through individual contracts, while limiting the number of trades to coordinate by grouping them under one company. For example, demolition, shell construction, and roofing were done by one company, as was the interior finishing. Windows, facade, heating, plumbing, etc. were contracted individually.
The advantage for me is that I am now able to make changes even during the construction phase (of course, this always costs money) and was able to achieve significantly better prices.
The downside, however, is definitely the considerably increased workload due to tendering, coordination (despite having a site manager), and the expected longer construction period.
There are certainly other pros and cons, but basically, you have to weigh what works best for you. Up to now, despite the stress for my wife and me, this has been the right approach.
Also, having an expert or surveyor should always be mandatory. I am not a professional and cannot immediately identify defects.