ᐅ Cost Transparency in Prefabricated Home Companies – Which Providers Are There?

Hello everyone,

My wife and I are currently in the process of selecting a contractor. To make a well-informed decision later on whether and to what extent doing some of the work ourselves is worthwhile, we have asked for a breakdown of the costs into labor and material expenses (as recommended in various specialized literature). So far, we have only received negative responses.

Do you know of any providers who are truly transparent in this regard? What are your experiences?

Thank you in advance for your replies!

When it comes to turnkey construction, you’re likely facing a tough challenge. For some trades, material prices per square meter are provided, but what the supplier’s standard package actually costs will (for obvious reasons) not be disclosed. The most important thing is that you receive fixed-price offers for your desired specifications. Don’t let yourself be pressured into signing anything before you have clearly specified the majority of the features and, of course, have a complete construction description that details the execution.

You will even find that, if an electrical installation (EL) were feasible, it wouldn’t really be worth it for several reasons: the credit for materials is so low that it doesn’t pay off, there is the risk of losing the warranty on the electrical work, coordination with other trades is lacking. And last but not least, there is simply no interest in excluding trades, since there is less profit involved.

Yes, that probably means the end of "full cost transparency"... I would really consider that a genuine added value and a unique selling point. I was also surprised that most companies did not provide a "model" of the planned house on the computer or at least on a drawing board before signing the contract... apparently, my expectations are too high.

Based on your experience, are there any providers you would recommend regarding transparency and quality?

It exists. We built with Wir Leben Haus and received about a 40-page cost breakdown with every offer. Not only what you selected, but also other options. This allowed us to compare at home, for example, what the interior walls would cost as solid wood walls, exposed walls, or timber frame, or the towel holder.

Mojo77 schrieb:
whether and to what extent it’s worth doing the work yourself for a specific trade

The tricky part is this: where the DIYer can save money, that’s often exactly where the contractor’s profit lies. No baker makes a living by selling only cake bases ;-)

Leaving aside two points. Number one: is it worth it without regrets? In other words, if I push myself hard to build a new house, do I want it to look like it was wallpapered by Uncle Erwin? The likely clear answer from a DIYer: it has to look good.

Number two: you may feel confident to install the drywall yourself, technically speaking. But can you do it exactly at the right time in the construction schedule? For your own work, you need to be able to free up specific weeks; otherwise, you end up holding up your own project. Can the DIYer also say with confidence, “my boss is okay with that”?

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