ᐅ Uneven screed – defect remediation refused

We are working with a general contractor, but even if we had an architect, we would have brought in an independent expert. This was actually recommended to us by architect friends! Trust is good, but the “four-eyes principle” is better! So far, I can say the money spent was well invested!

There are architect-designed houses in our new development neighborhood—eight in total, by three different architects. Seven of these houses have defects! Some are so serious that legal action was taken! An expert? Only one homeowner needed one, and that person is now safe! At first, they were laughed at because they were on very familiar terms with the architect and the subcontractors chosen... everything seemed perfect. Until the day the problems started.

For me, my nerves and money are too valuable for experiments. I am always glad when an inspection ends with a positive result.

Somehow, you don’t really understand what the tasks of an architect are—statements like "supervising one’s own work" show this.

The architect supervises the work of the contracted companies—and does so independently.

Of course, you can have an incompetent one who rarely visits the construction site or doesn’t want to upset “their” craftsmen—that happens.

It’s quite funny that an architect allegedly said you should hire an expert—doesn’t trust their own skills? That’s their profession!!

And so many defective houses with you? Do you know exactly which service phases were contracted?

Well, everyone has to decide for themselves...

The problem is that there are all kinds of architects. Unfortunately, the "good" architects don’t wear a special hat signaling that they conduct construction supervision properly and according to regulations. And yes, there is almost always some kind of connection between the tradespeople and the supervising architect, where knowing each other can lead to a basic level of trust that may make thorough supervision seem less necessary.

As a typical homeowner, you usually don’t have enough experience to properly assess the quality of the work being done. In this case, you can rely on the supervising architect, but you don’t have to. If you want to be absolutely sure, it’s a good idea to have a second set of eyes on the project. I think that’s completely reasonable and is something I would always do. However, I can understand the argument that some homeowners want to save that money and – not entirely without reason – trust their architect’s supervision.

Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference and risk tolerance. Personally, I tend to belong to the "more cautious" group. I don’t have the time or the interest to deal with construction defects and their remediation more than absolutely necessary. I am Switzerland.

Thank you, that's exactly what I mean.

Lexmaul79 schrieb:
You somehow don’t really understand the responsibilities of an architect – statements like “overseeing your own work” also show this.

As long as you know better, everything is fine.

Best regards, Bauexperte

What did I know that this would come from you... a real pity.