ᐅ Additional cost for exterior paint when changing from white to color?

Created on: 2 Feb 2023 10:47
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Fertighaus123
Hello,

Yesterday we had the selection appointment for our prefab house and chose a color (it had to be from the Caparol A1 color chart, for some reason). Today we were told the additional cost for this: more than 4,000€.

That really surprised us because we always thought that whether it’s white or color shouldn’t matter much, so where does the extra cost come from? Of course, that’s a bit naive and maybe simplistic, but we really didn’t expect over 4,000€.

Could you share your experiences? I’d be interested to know how much extra color options cost compared to white for you...

Best regards
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Sunshine387
4 Feb 2023 17:05
Well. Allowing completely free choice of color is really very vague. In court, you would probably have little chance of enforcing anything. Because “free choice” could also mean yellow or red for the exterior facade, and then an extra charge of 10,000€ for any other colors. And free choice of color is the case with every general contractor, namely against an additional fee. That’s why it is legally not clear at all. On the contrary. But I also know that in rural areas people stick to agreements and sometimes extra electrical outlets aren’t charged if you decide you want them during construction, provided both sides treat each other fairly.
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WilderSueden
4 Feb 2023 17:21
"Freely selectable" in the construction description of a consumer building contract usually means that the general contractor (GC) is at a disadvantage. Consumer protection laws generally interpret the vague wording used by the more professional contracting party (in this case, the GC) not to their benefit.
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OberhÀslich
4 Feb 2023 20:07
Freely selectable simply means that you can have the house painted in any color you personally prefer. This does not involve any cost. It should specifically state: "freely selectable at no extra charge or free of charge."
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WilderSueden
4 Feb 2023 20:41
A building specification does not describe possibilities, but a specific product.
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Sunshine387
4 Feb 2023 21:53
Exactly. It’s not clearly defined. Of course, you can choose the color freely. However, whether this is included or requires an additional charge is not clearly specified.
kati13374 Feb 2023 22:11
Of course, that is regulated. I was referring to a scope of work description. This is a specific part of our construction contract. Such a scope of work description clearly addresses the question of "what is included in the price and what is not." If it states "paint color selectable," although not very detailed, I believe an interpretation of "paint color selectable, but with an additional cost" would be legally difficult to enforce.