ᐅ Prefabricated Home Builders – What Should You Watch Out For? Are There Any Unforeseen Issues?

- Earthworks included can mean almost anything, but usually not what you expect. Either only the top 30cm (12 inches) are included, or disposal is missing, or...
- Base plaster is often missing
- Undersides of the roof often only have a primer
- "Painting work" covers much more than just painting walls
- Fire protection switches are often charged separately
- The same applies to fall protection for floor-to-ceiling windows

These are mostly minor issues. It gets more interesting during the selection process when you’re committed and suddenly every socket costs $100 or the washbasin is three times the recommended retail price. Also, external blinds are often overpriced afterward for no good reason. That’s why it’s important to have everything you want included in the contract. You can still negotiate packages before signing.

Warlaan schrieb:

I don’t understand why the topic of the foundation slab is criticized so often. First of all, it’s one of the first subjects that come up when you study house construction in more detail. Secondly, it’s more common than not that quotes are given "from the top of the foundation slab" (out of 13 companies I researched, 9 do not include the foundation slab in their offers).

In other words: at least 4 of the 13 companies in your selection share my view. The criticism is quite simple: when houses with basements were the norm, it made sense for prefab timber-frame houses to exclude the complex masonry part "basement," as this is usually handled by companies specializing in a different construction field. However, the exception "without basement" is more than just a trend—it’s becoming the norm. Consequently, it makes sense to reconsider the approach to quotations: the foundation slab is a small add-on. On the one hand, it involves so few trades that it can easily be subcontracted; on the other hand, it mainly consists of points that interface with the building constructed on top of it. From this interface perspective, it essentially corresponds only to the basement ceiling. From a construction management standpoint, quotations starting from the top of the foundation slab are not meaningful (precisely because dividing the responsibility for how these parts fit together is not appropriate here). However, the price of this item can often exceed the difference compared to a competitor’s offer. Therefore, quoting prices without including the foundation slab is ethically questionable, even if legally the size of the font for the disclaimer may be adequate (and several competitors handle it the same way).

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Caro0103m schrieb:

What are your experiences, which items does prefab house provider A include that provider B does not?

How are we supposed to know your quotes from providers A and B and your specific needs? You have to analyze that yourself. It’s also about making sure your wishes are fulfilled. If you don’t care about the energy-saving regulations, you don’t need the provider who wants to build you a KfW40 (highly energy-efficient) house. If you absolutely want a wooden front door, you’ll need to increase the offer from the provider offering a plastic door with an additional item.

Warlaan schrieb:

I don’t understand why the topic of the foundation slab is criticized so often.

Neither do I. OK, the foundation slab is straightforward and self-explanatory. There are other items that tend to be hidden and can cause a significant increase in the total offer. Since you have to engage with the subject of building a house anyway, you know what "OK" means and that different types of “substrates” can be used, for example if you want a basement. To get a quote for a “complete house,” you need to take it a step further and request a personalized offer based on your wishes. You do this with the one or two providers you are considering. After all, the decision is based not only on price but also on trust.

ypg schrieb:

There are quite different items that tend to be hidden and can lead to a significant increase in the overall quote.

Which hidden items are those, based on your experience?

Rosmarin schrieb:

What hidden items are those, based on your experience?

Take a look in the subforum Construction Costs. There are even pinned posts that make it easier for you to read. You can use the search system effectively with terms like work description or construction service description. You’ll find a lot of information there.

The fundamental issue is that the scope of work descriptions clearly state what is included, but everything that is missing is only mentioned briefly and incompletely. This means you have to read many scope of work descriptions to keep discovering new items that are included with some companies but apparently missing from others.

You also always have to read between the lines: "tiled window sills in the bathroom" means there are no stone window sills in the bathroom, even if a window is located outside the tiled area.

A "wide selection of bathroom fixtures," for example, means there is exactly one basic, low-quality faucet included; the wide selection is then available only at extra cost...

And so on, and so forth.