Hello everyone,
I need your opinion regarding a quote from my general contractor for a cornice box.
We are building an urban villa measuring 10.5 x 11 m (34.4 x 36 ft). We have already signed the contract and are currently waiting for the execution plans. Unfortunately, I forgot to include the topic of roof cladding during the negotiations. The construction specification states the following:
Roof Overhangs
Generous roof overhangs emphasize the architecture of the ...construction company’s houses. For gable and half-hipped roofs, the eaves will be constructed with a 50 cm (20 inch) overhang, according to the house proposal. The overhangs at the gables are 20 cm (8 inches) (deviations as per house proposals). Houses with hipped roofs have a continuous roof overhang of 40 cm (16 inches). At the gables, a planed fascia board is installed underneath with a 20 cm (8 inch) overhang. For larger overhangs, the underside is clad with spruce wood profiles. The visible rafter tails and the soffit boarding are primed white.
The offer I have received is as follows:
47 m (154 ft) of cornice cladding made from 3-ply spruce panels, 22 mm (7/8 inch) thick, primed white on all sides and repainted after installation. Projection approximately 50 cm (20 inches), fascia cladding approximately 12 cm (5 inches). Attached with stainless steel screws, including substructure, at 46.20 EUR/m = 2,171.40 EUR net plus 19% VAT = 2,583.97 EUR.
My question: Does this calculation seem reasonable to you?
Would the general contractor not save on the painting of the visible rafter tails and soffit boarding—which is already included in the price—so that the painting of the cornice box should not be charged again in full?
Thank you for your support.
I need your opinion regarding a quote from my general contractor for a cornice box.
We are building an urban villa measuring 10.5 x 11 m (34.4 x 36 ft). We have already signed the contract and are currently waiting for the execution plans. Unfortunately, I forgot to include the topic of roof cladding during the negotiations. The construction specification states the following:
Roof Overhangs
Generous roof overhangs emphasize the architecture of the ...construction company’s houses. For gable and half-hipped roofs, the eaves will be constructed with a 50 cm (20 inch) overhang, according to the house proposal. The overhangs at the gables are 20 cm (8 inches) (deviations as per house proposals). Houses with hipped roofs have a continuous roof overhang of 40 cm (16 inches). At the gables, a planed fascia board is installed underneath with a 20 cm (8 inch) overhang. For larger overhangs, the underside is clad with spruce wood profiles. The visible rafter tails and the soffit boarding are primed white.
The offer I have received is as follows:
47 m (154 ft) of cornice cladding made from 3-ply spruce panels, 22 mm (7/8 inch) thick, primed white on all sides and repainted after installation. Projection approximately 50 cm (20 inches), fascia cladding approximately 12 cm (5 inches). Attached with stainless steel screws, including substructure, at 46.20 EUR/m = 2,171.40 EUR net plus 19% VAT = 2,583.97 EUR.
My question: Does this calculation seem reasonable to you?
Would the general contractor not save on the painting of the visible rafter tails and soffit boarding—which is already included in the price—so that the painting of the cornice box should not be charged again in full?
Thank you for your support.
We are building with individual trade contracts (i.e., without a general contractor) and initially, the carpentry quote included open eaves with visible rafter tails and, as you nicely put it in your post, an "underside cladding made of spruce wood profile." It was only afterwards that we realized we wanted the eaves enclosed. We are also building a detached house measuring 10.25 x 10.25 m (33.6 x 33.6 ft). We then spoke with our carpenter, who quoted an additional cost of just under €900 net plus VAT, totaling €1,071. This price included the painting of the rafter tails and the underside cladding, which was deducted or offset accordingly.
Our carpenter offered that we could do the cladding of the eaves, including painting, as a DIY task. He would supply the necessary materials, making the cost difference neutral (i.e., the same price as for the open eaves). We decided to take on this work ourselves. He delivered the pre-cut materials. We then bought paint and nails (total cost about €150), painted the boards twice (over two evenings), installed the substructure on a Saturday morning (time required about 1.5 hours), and over two full days (approximately 7 hours each) attached the boards to the roof and painted them again. So, the enclosed eaves cost us only the €150 for paint and nails plus several hours of our time. Savings: roughly €900. This was not a major challenge for reasonably experienced amateurs. If you want to see what it looks like: *Click*
I find your additional cost of nearly €2,600 to be rather high, even though your house is somewhat larger, which naturally requires more materials and time. I can’t say how the omitted painting of the rafter tails is handled on your project; for us, our carpenter deducted this from his calculation. What does your general contractor say about this?
Our carpenter offered that we could do the cladding of the eaves, including painting, as a DIY task. He would supply the necessary materials, making the cost difference neutral (i.e., the same price as for the open eaves). We decided to take on this work ourselves. He delivered the pre-cut materials. We then bought paint and nails (total cost about €150), painted the boards twice (over two evenings), installed the substructure on a Saturday morning (time required about 1.5 hours), and over two full days (approximately 7 hours each) attached the boards to the roof and painted them again. So, the enclosed eaves cost us only the €150 for paint and nails plus several hours of our time. Savings: roughly €900. This was not a major challenge for reasonably experienced amateurs. If you want to see what it looks like: *Click*
I find your additional cost of nearly €2,600 to be rather high, even though your house is somewhat larger, which naturally requires more materials and time. I can’t say how the omitted painting of the rafter tails is handled on your project; for us, our carpenter deducted this from his calculation. What does your general contractor say about this?
Hi,
first of all, thank you very much for your detailed and very helpful response. I haven’t discussed the offer with my general contractor yet, as I wanted to form my own opinion on the costs and effort involved first. I’ve also heard that some homeowners have done the cladding as a self-performed task. For various reasons, I am rather cautious about taking on self-performed work. My main concern is that the standard services, which are omitted in the case of cladding being done by the owner, must be fairly deducted.
I will try to have a conversation with my general contractor in the next few days.
first of all, thank you very much for your detailed and very helpful response. I haven’t discussed the offer with my general contractor yet, as I wanted to form my own opinion on the costs and effort involved first. I’ve also heard that some homeowners have done the cladding as a self-performed task. For various reasons, I am rather cautious about taking on self-performed work. My main concern is that the standard services, which are omitted in the case of cladding being done by the owner, must be fairly deducted.
I will try to have a conversation with my general contractor in the next few days.
Yes, understandable. With my description, I just wanted to give an idea of the approximate amount of work involved so you can estimate the cost ratio. Of course, you have to consider that a professional (male or female) probably wouldn’t need as much time as we did.
Talk to your general contractor and tell us what they said.
Talk to your general contractor and tell us what they said.
One more update on this topic: Our general contractor says that the €2600 (about $2800) is the additional cost that the carpenter is charging him.
Our building consultant from the Private Builders Association thinks that the extra cost is actually quite reasonable (for whatever reason). I just wish I had asked about it from the beginning. A town villa with exposed beams just doesn’t look right (in my opinion).
Our building consultant from the Private Builders Association thinks that the extra cost is actually quite reasonable (for whatever reason). I just wish I had asked about it from the beginning. A town villa with exposed beams just doesn’t look right (in my opinion).
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