ᐅ Custom Tile Requests: Excessive Charges? Developer Obligations

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

That’s not entirely true. The mats are so flexible and floppy that you really have to work carefully to lay them completely flat and with precise grout joints.

Anyone trained as a tile setter can do that effortlessly.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

I would NEVER install mosaic flooring again.

I agree with you on that. Except in the shower—there you can use any surface type because mosaic is very slip-resistant due to the many grout lines.

Myrna_Loy schrieb:

It looked fancy, but after a few months I just hated constantly scrubbing and steaming the grout.

I don’t understand. Why are you constantly scrubbing and steaming the grout? Do you have very hard water that causes constant deposits?

Tolentino schrieb:

Cutting mosaic sheets precisely is not easy either. A tile cutter doesn’t work (you can’t just push through), so you either have to use an angle grinder, which makes accurate cuts more difficult, or work with tile nippers. Straight cuts are tricky with those as well.

As long as you don’t use very small mosaic tiles, cutting with a tile cutter works fine (from about 25x25mm (1x1 inch) and larger). If the mosaic is smaller, then a small angle grinder or rotary tool works excellently.

And we are talking about a professional tile setter here, not a DIYer. For 160€ net, I’d even cut the mosaic perfectly for you 😉

OlgiOhligs schrieb:

That’s really extreme, and I can’t find or verify the prices you included in our offer anywhere online.

Every tradesperson can decide for themselves anyway. The developer especially. And if you’re tied to them, it’s a case of take it or leave it.

Benutzer200 schrieb:

But if I see that you only have 20x20 to 20x40cm (8x8 to 8x16 inches) tiles included in the base price, then I assume you basically went with a very low-cost developer. Such small tiles are no longer standard today.

I agree with that.

Benutzer200 schrieb:

Even the mosaic mesh doesn’t require any special effort.

It doesn’t matter: our 1.8sqm (19sq ft) mosaic on the front shower wall cost us €360 ten years ago. Including installation, nearly €800… the tiler wore a respirator and spent two full days with multiple steps. 1.8sqm (19sq ft)! Glass mosaic with special adhesive and aggressive grout for wet areas.
You don’t necessarily need to clean the grout: wiping it dry is enough.
@OlgiOhligs
Overall, you will probably face around €5,000 in additional costs to get what you want.
I would try to negotiate again, and if there’s no compromise, bite the bullet. Provided you still have the budget.

OlgiOhligs schrieb:

Honestly, I’m surprised and just want to quickly verify if this is justified.

General contractor business model.

From the tiler’s point of view, it is justified if you sign the additional contract. You don’t have any other choice, as you are tied to the general contractor’s subcontractor. The only alternative would be to have the tiler do only the waterproofing and then, after acceptance, hire a tiler of your choice for the tile installation. However, the subcontractor will have priced the surcharges in a way that this won’t be cost-effective for you. Sure, they have extra work, but as you correctly pointed out, this is not necessarily justified; however, with your current negotiating position in the market, it can be enforced.

Traditionally, subcontractors submit their bids to the general contractor with aggressively low prices based on an unusually low standard, fully aware that in more than half the cases, there will be an upgrade request. They then make their profit on these upgrades, while the standard work only covers costs. The few refusals are already factored in, and those who do upgrade ultimately also share the costs within a large general contractor project.

The general contractor goes along with this because many clients don’t thoroughly scrutinize the scope of work, so at first glance, the total price at the bottom right looks better than a competitor’s who quoted a higher initial standard, for example with 60cm x 60cm (24 inches x 24 inches) tiles, tiles costing up to 50 euros per m² (about $45 per ft²), and metal profiles included. If the scope of work had been carefully reviewed before signing the contract, this would have become apparent, and you would have had a much better negotiating position. But now it’s too late—just bite the bullet this time, and remember this for your next build. 🙄

Scout** schrieb:

If you had studied, you would have noticed it and would have

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.. doesn’t help the original poster..

We had sizes up to 30 x 60 cm (12 x 24 inches) included, but chose 60 x 60 cm (24 x 24 inches) and paid a surcharge of 22 € net per square meter (22 € net per square yard).

So I also find the prices quite high.

Either a new tiler – which you already ruled out –

Or negotiate and hope for an acceptable outcome.

I would normally say to have them handle the leveling and waterproofing, and just supply the tiles and tile adhesive. The problem is, at the moment, you probably won’t find anyone else.

Dear all, thank you very much for all the replies. I really appreciate the wealth of information you provided.

Yes, we will go ahead with it. If we get what we want and I can enjoy the tiles in the bathrooms every day, then it will definitely be worth it.

I was just very surprised by the prices. Background: I estimated the costs very pessimistically (based on online research) and was already expecting a significant markup. But the quoted prices far exceed my calculations. I wondered whether I am the problem or if the tiler is really outrageously expensive. But you also seem to agree...

None of this helps though! We just have to get through it! And yes, it’s due to the business model... the tiler only works on large projects, and our project (city allocation of the plot) was meant to be especially affordable to create an offer for families. In the end, I wished they had added €20,000 to €30,000 (20,000 to 30,000 euros) and at least included items like minimum 30x60cm (12x24 inches) tiles, electric shutters, and painting work in a framework agreement (which would have been cheaper). But even here, we will accept the situation as it is and look forward to our new home 🙂 Thank you all and best regards! Have a great weekend, and watch out if there’s a storm 🙂

P.S.:

Tolentino schrieb:

I would normally say, let him handle the leveling and safety measures and only deliver the tiles and tile adhesive.
The problem is, right now you probably won’t find anyone else.

That is definitely a problem I can confirm. At the moment, it is really difficult (and I am persistent) to find a tradesperson for “small jobs” as a private individual.