ᐅ Slanted Walls – Price Reduction?

Well, construction flaws are hardly avoidable. But what can we do about uneven walls? A price reduction?

In short, our shell is complete, the roof is covered, and the facing brickwork has started. Yesterday, the staircase installer came to take measurements. Well, there is a 4cm (1.6 inch) discrepancy in the width of the staircase area... That’s unfortunate, and it will be noticeable visually, especially with a straight steel stringer staircase. It bothers me, but at this point, it can’t be changed. So here’s the question: Can we ask for a price reduction because of this? If yes, what amount is typical in such cases?

Hello,

4 cm (1.6 inches) deviation over what length? Which part of the staircase do you mean? The ceiling opening? Do you have a picture or drawing showing how the steel stringer staircase passes through there? I can’t quite imagine the visible deviation right now.

Best regards

Michael

Ah, now I’ve found the floor plan again from the other thread. With the half-landing staircase, 4 cm (1.5 inches) definitely stands out if the 4 cm (1.5 inches) gap is between the two walls. Where is the distance greater? Could this possibly be balanced out with a slightly wider first step? Or with steps that gradually become a bit narrower or wider?

A 4 cm (1.5 inches) difference over approximately 280 cm (9 feet) length should be possible to compensate for in the staircase.

Hello,

Kisska86 schrieb:

Well, construction defects are probably unavoidable. But what can we do about crooked walls? Price reduction?

I wouldn’t immediately refer to this as “construction defects.” Building a single-family house involves so many people that it is natural for some mistakes to occur. The key question is how these mistakes are handled. Demanding a price reduction right away doesn’t usually promote a good working relationship.

Kisska86 schrieb:

Well, there is a 4cm (1.6 inch) difference in width in the stair area... That’s bad, and it will be noticeable visually, especially on a straight steel-stringer staircase. It annoys me, but it can’t be changed anymore. Here’s the question: Can we ask for a price reduction for this? If yes, what amount is typical?

The relevant standard mainly defines tolerances for the safety-critical points of a stair: rise, tread, and clear width.

How narrow is the narrowest spot/step? And what solutions does the stair builder suggest?

Regards, Bauexperte

As with almost everything, there are specific DIN standards that define when a wall is officially considered "out of plumb."

In our new build, we also have some "out of plumb" walls, which are especially noticeable in a few corners now that the baseboards are installed. However, according to the standard, the walls are "not out of plumb enough" to be considered a defect.

It is always helpful to first talk to those responsible; perhaps a solution can be found so that the issue becomes less noticeable.

The question that arises for me is, why didn’t you as the builders inspect the walls during the shell construction? That way, any defects in the walls could have been identified and corrected immediately while still in the shell phase.