Architect with fixed price and later general contractor

Hello everyone,

we are currently planning the construction of a single-family house. We are at the very beginning and need to decide with whom and how we want to build.

So far, we have visited several solid house providers who handle everything from start to finish.

Alternatively, we have also spoken with two architects with whom acquaintances have already built. Both architects do not bill according to [HOAI].

Architect A has a fixed price for the following items:
Design of the single-family house including building application and drainage applications
Structural calculation
Thermal insulation certificate according to the Energy Saving Ordinance

Execution planning and construction management are not included.
For this, a fee of 4000 euros plus VAT is requested.

Architect B has a fixed price for the following items:
Design, approval planning and execution planning €3,000 plus VAT
Additional services such as preparation of tenders, participation in awarding and construction management €2,500 plus VAT.

However, according to our acquaintances, the latter was initially quite involved in the construction management but hardly showed up on site towards the end. Furthermore, he was relatively slow in feedback and obtaining offers.

We have received exclusively positive feedback about Architect A, which has kept him in the running so far.
Most builders who worked with Architect A later decided on the same general contractor. We have also only received positive feedback regarding this contractor.

We are now considering joining this constellation. So taking Architect A and the [GU]. (Due to the very good response)

The question is whether Architect A’s offer is even permissible, or what you experts think about it.

Thank you very much for your effort.

I cannot imagine that a general contractor supports or goes along with variant B. Then you would almost not need the general contractor anymore if architect B does their job properly.

I can hardly believe that the execution planning is included in the 3,000€. Alone these listed items from architect B make up almost 90% of the services according to HOAI.

The price from A is also good. A general contractor would take that on as well.

Architect A has also already built several houses in the area with the general contractor. They are a "well-coordinated team". If you are fundamentally pessimistic like me, you could also interpret that negatively.

Architect B would work with trade commissioning, which he would take care of completely. How the overall service can be represented with the price has not yet fully become clear to me.

take candidate C.

Candidate A stops where it gets exciting. What use is a building permit alone if you want to make the execution drawings yourself and the site manager acts like Uncle Franz?

Candidate B sounds like a one-man show. Someone who takes every job where he can play architect instead of waitressing. If he only has one client, he puts in the effort; if he has several, then his emails come at night and he makes himself scarce on the construction site (?)

All fee agreements/flat rates below the HOAI are invalid. The architect (or third parties) can determine this and demand the minimum rate. Nevertheless, this seems to be customary in some regions, and if he has references, you don’t have to assume the worst.

I just wonder what one can even expect for the fee shown. That is an enormous amount of little money for the expected service. Both are really cheap. Emphasis on cheap. It’s a miracle that anyone even goes to the construction site for that. Our architects go to the construction site daily(!) (provided work is being done there, of course), but the fee has an extra zero. Zone 3, quarter rate.

In the village, this may not be so critical

And Architect A does not go out to the construction site. He only makes the drawing and then gets it approved. The rest is then carried out independently or by the general contractor.

Although I wonder whether it is even possible to commission trades if you only have the approval planning and no execution planning in hand.
How can the trades then submit a realistic offer?