I am looking for a company to provide construction quality control alongside the build.
I was thinking of 3 to 4 construction phases for quality control, such as the basement, shell construction, advanced shell, and final inspection.
So far, I have considered either an association like the Building Owners' Protection Association or the Private Homeowners' Association.
Or a monitoring organization like TÜV or DEKRA.
Has anyone had any experience with this?
I was thinking of 3 to 4 construction phases for quality control, such as the basement, shell construction, advanced shell, and final inspection.
So far, I have considered either an association like the Building Owners' Protection Association or the Private Homeowners' Association.
Or a monitoring organization like TÜV or DEKRA.
Has anyone had any experience with this?
H
Haeuslebauer1217 Apr 2012 19:07We ultimately decided to go with a local architect and building inspector. TÜV and DEKRA are several hundred euros more expensive but offered significantly fewer site visits compared to the architect. Initially, we considered the Association for Quality Control in Construction (VQC), but they often do not respond to emails at all, and when they do, it is very sparsely. To me, that does not reflect professionalism! Just try googling "architect + your hometown," "construction supervision + hometown," and so on... you’ll find options quickly!
Construction supervision should definitely be carried out by someone from the local area – flexibility is important, as some inspections need to be done precisely and on short notice to avoid delays in the building process.
It is understandable that, for cost reasons, the number of site visits should be kept to a minimum. However, reliable quality control cannot be ensured, for example, with only four visits. Quality often depends on work that is difficult to see and quickly covered up. For instance, basement waterproofing or external thermal insulation systems consist of several steps or layers, which are hard to inspect once completed.
In my experience, it is practical to find a middle ground by combining inspections by an expert with those carried out by the homeowners – provided there is good coordination between the expert and the homeowners. The expert should clearly explain which points to focus on. If in doubt, phone calls and photos can provide clarity.
Through a sensible combination of expert inspections and assessments by well-prepared homeowners, the main goal can be achieved: preventing defects or at least identifying and addressing them at an early stage.
It is understandable that, for cost reasons, the number of site visits should be kept to a minimum. However, reliable quality control cannot be ensured, for example, with only four visits. Quality often depends on work that is difficult to see and quickly covered up. For instance, basement waterproofing or external thermal insulation systems consist of several steps or layers, which are hard to inspect once completed.
In my experience, it is practical to find a middle ground by combining inspections by an expert with those carried out by the homeowners – provided there is good coordination between the expert and the homeowners. The expert should clearly explain which points to focus on. If in doubt, phone calls and photos can provide clarity.
Through a sensible combination of expert inspections and assessments by well-prepared homeowners, the main goal can be achieved: preventing defects or at least identifying and addressing them at an early stage.
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