Additional cost due to tile size?

Hello everyone,
we received a statement of our BU today -> approx. €4000 additional costs, mainly due to the oversized tiles (30x60). No tile dimensions are specified in the construction description. Can the BU charge for extra effort?
Furthermore, since we are not choosing the more expensive parquet in the living rooms, could they not accommodate us with the tiles? Tile price gross = €25, parquet €45.
If we were to remove all floor coverings, we would only get about €7000 back. Is that normal? :eek:

Unfortunately yes...

The construction companies always earn a fortune, as long as you choose something other than "standard." The surcharges are usually outrageously high but calculated just enough so that awarding the contract to another company hardly pays off. Occasionally, there are also offers that simply serve as a deterrent so that you do not commission them for whatever reason.

In return, the deductions for the omission of services are usually minimal! €7,000 for the omission of all flooring work is even very generously calculated by the contractor (assuming it's a bit over 100 sqm). I want to briefly share two things from my house construction: The surcharge for laying a branded carpet, which costs about €35/sqm at a specialist retailer, was €50/sqm, and the deduction for omitting the normal carpet was already included. It would have been €10/sqm if I had no flooring at all. A surcharge for a flush-mounted 90 cm shower tray is €400, a bathtub 10 cm wider + €250... If all sanitary fixtures are omitted (shower, bathtub, WC, washbasin), there is a generous deduction of €450.

So much for the behavior of the contractors, who keep the basic price of the house low that way...

Regarding your specific contract, it's about WHAT exactly was agreed upon. The tile point must have been listed somewhere in the construction and service description? Maybe also "hidden" by only naming the brand and manufacturer. Otherwise, ask specifically how they justify charging a surcharge. 30x60 is—in my eyes—still a standard size that does not necessarily justify a surcharge for increased laying effort. If, contractually, for example, only square tiles are stipulated, then your contractor is contractually on the safe side. After all, it is only an offer that he presents to you. Of course, you can also renegotiate it, e.g., with the above arguments, or reject it and assign the trades yourself. This usually only happens after acceptance & handover...

Wishing you much success!

Best regards

Hello,

if you have bought a turnkey house, then standard tiles are certainly included in the fixed price. If you now choose different tiles, you of course have to pay the difference, whether the extra cost is due to the material or the additional effort during installation. Tiles in a size of 30x60cm are no longer standard, the installation effort is greater and therefore must also be paid for.

I don't believe that you will only pay the extra costs that the tiler actually charges and receives. Your [BU] or whatever will certainly add something on top for themselves as well.

Regards

Hello everyone,

thank you for your response.
I already understood that if I choose more expensive tiles, I have to pay the difference.
The question is whether our BU can charge us for the size if no size is specified in the construction description. Under tile work it only says "Material value: 25€/sqm (gross, list price specialist wholesale)" otherwise there is nothing specified anywhere. Alternatively, in the living areas, prefinished parquet (glued) can be installed at 45€/sqm. Since we are not taking parquet (we had the choice between oiled and lacquered oak), we are choosing tiles. Unfortunately, we are not charged for the parquet that was not taken, but that is probably asking too much.

@Lynx1984

So much for the behavior of the BU, which keeps the base price of the house low...

I really don’t like it when all BU/GU are lumped together....
The price for your flush shower is completely reasonable; the price for enlarging the bathtub is based on the fact that everything that deviates from the standard of sanitary object suppliers is disproportionately expensive. The credit for the complete removal of the sanitary objects is a joke – so I would be interested to know who you are building with?

@Bauherr32

We received a breakdown of our BU today -> approx. €4000 additional cost, mainly due to the oversized tiles (30x60). No tile sizes are specified in the building description. Can the BU charge for additional effort?

E.Curb has already answered your question correctly – regarding the often mentioned surcharge by BU/GU: all builders want to work with solvent providers if possible? Ensuring that also means running your own company according to reputable, commercial practices, calculating in a way that not only the next quarter is survived.

Furthermore, the question arises, since we are not taking the more expensive parquet in the living rooms, could they not accommodate us with the tiles? Tile price gross = €25, parquet €45.

They could probably do that – the question is, what does your building description (BB) provide for this case?

The question is whether our BU can charge us for the size if no size is specified in the building description. Under tile work it only says "Material value: €25/sqm (gross, list price wholesale specialist trade)" otherwise nothing is stated.

That actually can’t be the case, since the BU must specify its service – if it weren’t so, you could, for example, demand tiles the size of a Palladian plate. Look through your BB carefully again, somewhere there must be a reference to the size of the tiles that your BU uses to justify the surcharge.

Alternatively, engineered parquet (glued) can be laid in the living rooms at €45/sqm. Since we are not taking parquet (we had the choice between oiled and lacquered oak), we are taking tiles. Unfortunately, the parquet not taken is not credited to us, but that is probably asking too much.

A higher laying price is calculated for the tile trade, a higher proportion of the material itself is in the parquet floor trade – in the mixed calculation, both trades can thus be offered at the same price. Actually – actually, a mixed price should also be credited...

Kind regards

Hello construction expert, everything that is stated in our construction description about floor coverings has already been mentioned by me. The tile size is not specified anywhere!!!