ᐅ Recommendations for a construction company or general contractor near Offenburg/Lahr

Thank you for your reply. Your response reassured me because I already thought I was overreacting, and my architect also wanted to give me the impression that this was normal. At the beginning, he didn’t mention at all that he planned to hand over from design phase 5 to a general contractor. There was never any talk about a general contractor, and they even said that if I agreed, they would also like to manage the construction. And now, suddenly, they want to handle design phase 5 and that’s it. When I was surprised to hear that design phase 5 would take 5-6 months, he gave me the impression that I should hurry, but that it’s important to allow enough time. By the way, we spent a full 10 months on the planning until submitting the application for the building permit/planning permission, so I understand that if he’s now saying 5-6 months.

At the beginning, we signed a contract for design phases 1 through 4, and we wanted to apply for design phases 5 through 8 during the permit phase.

Nikolan85 schrieb:

There was never any talk of a general contractor (GC), and you even mentioned that although I agreed, you would also like to manage construction supervision. And now suddenly you want to handle design phase 5 and that’s it.

Such a sudden change is unfortunate. Whether to hire a GC can only be decided in design phase 7.

Nikolan85 schrieb:

At the beginning, we signed a contract for design phases 1 through 4. We planned to apply for design phases 5 through 8 during the permitting phase.

That was unwise; now you are left “stupidly” alone. What does the architect say about how they envision this: are you supposed to find a GC yourself with the phase 5 plans?
Personally, I would decline politely, because, as mentioned, design phases 5 and 8 are logically linked. Hiring the architect just for phase 5 would normally be less bad than being left alone after phase 4. But given that they intend to take so long, this almost feels like a “defensive offer” and, in my opinion, is not worth the money and time. Also, as said, the permitting plans alone are not really suitable for finding a GC, since the tendering process “is no easy task.” You are welcome to contact me (see post #3).

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Nikolan85 schrieb:

Hello and thank you very much for the response.
So, my architect himself recommended handling phase 5 personally and then handing over to the general contractor (GC) from phase 6 onwards. He says he will not take on site supervision and thinks it makes sense for the GC to cover everything.
The reason I also want to do phase 5 with the GC is because of the time. My architect says that phase 5 alone would take him at least 5-6 months. I know the work involved in phase 5 is substantial—that’s why it accounts for 25% of the total fee. But 5-6 months seems really long to me. So the idea was whether it might be better to do it directly with the GC.

It is also a question of price. Your GC will not refund you much if you remove phase 5. If the architect insists on Hoai fees, you will end up paying more in the end. Some GCs also want to handle the construction documentation themselves so that the plans match their GC offer.

Gerddieter schrieb:

Your general contractor (GC) won’t refund much if you remove design phase 5.

???
You can only remove what was originally included.

Gerddieter schrieb:

Some GCs want to handle the detailed construction planning themselves, so that the plans match their bid.

“GC’s detailed construction planning” is quite an exaggerated term for simply indicating to the ceiling supplier where openings for penetrations are planned. A detailed plan from the architect will likely be ignored unless the architect returns in design phase 8 to oversee compliance.

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I feel I need to write about this topic because it is very difficult for prospective homeowners to find the right path…

On one hand, there is the architect, but to put it mildly, the process is just slow… every discussed change in the design plan takes weeks and is only partially implemented. If the architect approaches the contracting and construction management with the same enthusiasm, then that’s a major problem… And who can guarantee that the architect is even able to hire skilled tradespeople?

On the other hand, there is the general contractor (GC), who works faster and whose price is transparent, but everything else is a black box… What does “parquet flooring for €40 (approximately $43) per square meter” actually mean? Which doors or heating system manufacturers will they choose? Is everything decided by the contractor, or will there be unexpected extra charges?

I don’t know what to do, but I do know that so far the architect hasn’t helped me make decisions either…

Gerddieter schrieb:

I also need to write on this topic that it is very difficult for prospective homeowners to find the right way....

And do you really think that sharing your personal trauma with architects in their threads will help them?

Gerddieter schrieb:

I don’t know what to do myself, but I do know that the architect hasn’t helped me make decisions so far...

I would have offered you my support a long time ago, if it weren’t for one thing: I just can’t shake the feeling that you yourself might be part of the problem. There are certainly incompetent architects, yes, but beyond a certain point, I lose my firm belief in pure coincidence.

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