Hello,
we have now purchased a plot of land and want to have a geotechnical report done before entering into further negotiations with a building company. In most cases, only a removal of 30cm (12 inches) of topsoil is included in the fixed price, so we want to clarify this beforehand.
Apparently, many parameters can be investigated—what is sensible and necessary?
What can something like this cost, and can you recommend a provider in the Hannover area?
we have now purchased a plot of land and want to have a geotechnical report done before entering into further negotiations with a building company. In most cases, only a removal of 30cm (12 inches) of topsoil is included in the fixed price, so we want to clarify this beforehand.
Apparently, many parameters can be investigated—what is sensible and necessary?
What can something like this cost, and can you recommend a provider in the Hannover area?
Hello,
I am also from the Hannover area and I always limit my offers for the foundation slab to 30cm (12 inches). Not because it is fair or usually sufficient, but because it is the industry standard. Additionally, I always provide my clients with prices per cubic meter (m3) for extra work; unfortunately, there is no other way to handle it.
Even after a soil survey, you won’t have 100% certainty, since soil layers are rarely uniform. Nobody will give you a fixed price, or at best, it will be way too high. Costs are around 600 for two boreholes; for slab sizes above approximately 100m2 (1,076 square feet), a third borehole is necessary.
Where are you building? In Sarstedt, for example, it is advisable to have some financial cushion, as the soil conditions there are often quite poor...
I am also from the Hannover area and I always limit my offers for the foundation slab to 30cm (12 inches). Not because it is fair or usually sufficient, but because it is the industry standard. Additionally, I always provide my clients with prices per cubic meter (m3) for extra work; unfortunately, there is no other way to handle it.
Even after a soil survey, you won’t have 100% certainty, since soil layers are rarely uniform. Nobody will give you a fixed price, or at best, it will be way too high. Costs are around 600 for two boreholes; for slab sizes above approximately 100m2 (1,076 square feet), a third borehole is necessary.
Where are you building? In Sarstedt, for example, it is advisable to have some financial cushion, as the soil conditions there are often quite poor...
B
Bauexperte15 Mar 2015 12:07Lars881 schrieb:
I’m also from the Hanover area and I always limit my offers for the foundation slab to 30cm (12 inches). Not because it’s fair or usually sufficient, but because it’s the market standard. I borrowed this from a landscaping website because I really like the explanation, and it perfectly captures the core idea:
**"Have you heard of Theo the earthworm? Theo lives in the soil, turning it over and creating a particularly valuable topsoil that serves as an ideal habitat for other creatures and especially plants. Since Theo can’t dig indefinitely downwards, he lives in the top 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) below the surface. This layer is called topsoil."**
Lars881 schrieb:
Even with a soil survey, you won’t have 100% certainty because the soil layers do not lie perfectly flat. No one will give you a fixed price; at best, it will be way too high. With all due respect, that is nonsense!
With a soil survey—which no sensible builder in Germany should proceed without—the geologist provides a foundation recommendation. If the contractor follows this recommendation and it later turns out to be incorrect, liability lies with the geologist. Based on the foundation advice, any contractor can submit a fixed-price offer; if they cannot, I would look for another partner!
Source: my gardening book
Best regards, Bauexperte
B
Bauexperte15 Mar 2015 13:57Häusle77 schrieb:
Therefore, it would be helpful if there were a recommendation for a provider, as the prices seem to vary significantly...Try using Google and search for the Federal Association of Independent Experts e.V. Through their expert search, you can specify the type of expert and also the region.In terms of price, they should be similar unless some services are excluded.
Regards, Bauexperte
Häusle77 schrieb:
Therefore, it would be helpful to have a recommendation for a supplier, since the prices seem to vary greatly...Yes, the prices vary a lot... they can range from 500 to 1600.
However, you can't simply say that the cheapest or the most expensive option is the best.
They offer more or less comparable services, which is understandable. One includes soil samples, another includes the analysis of these samples.
You should compare several providers yourself (this also applies to the entire construction process) and see which offer fits your property best.
Best regards,
Yvonne