Basement prices vary greatly

Hello,

I had offers made by 3 general contractors and I have to say that the basement prices were very different. Now I am naturally wondering why. The price difference between GC 2 and 3 might still be explainable, but why GC1 is so expensive is a mystery to me.

GC 1 - Solid house: House price €420,000 + Basement €90,000 (Partial basement 45m2)
GC 2 - Prefabricated house: House price €430,000 + Basement €125,000 (Full basement 83m2)
GC 3 - Prefabricated house: House price €470,000 + Basement €65,000 (Full basement 78m2)

At GC1, earthworks without removal and disposal are included, at GC2 and GC3 they are not.

Could it be that GC1 does not feel like building a basement or are there other good reasons that make the basement significantly more expensive? All 3 are intended as usable basements and sealed against non-pressing water.

Oh yes, GC1 told me that a full basement would increase the price to €175,000, therefore we only made a partial basement here.

You would need to look in detail at the [Bauleistungsbeschreibung] of the respective providers. Presumably, the majority of the differences lie there. Light wells, insulation, drainage, etc. You have already recognized the work involved as one point; if you omit these, you can of course offer a lower price. The current and expected order situation also naturally plays a role in pricing.

Basically, with a partial basement, you are likely to have a relatively poor ratio of area to cost; it is not a real cost-saving option.

oh yes, GU1 told me that a full basement would increase the price to €175,000, so we only made a partial basement here.

A partial basement is not that much cheaper than a full basement. Just as a side note. Otherwise, it could a) be due to the construction specification or b) GU1 has full order books and wants to charge well if he finds crazy customers (;)).

Thank you for the answers. I will meet with another GU next week, curious to see what he will quote for the basement. I will then report what he demands.

It is pointless to necessarily obtain even more offers. Better get someone who can read and interpret construction service descriptions.

That roughly means, does everyone have a staircase in their offer. Has everyone installed light shafts, are there surface-mounted services, etc. Is the ceiling made of wood or concrete, etc.

Anything that is not on the paper you cannot expect to receive.

At GU1, the earthworks are included without removal and disposal, at GU2 and GU3 they are not.

Besides the earthworks, the question is what else might still be missing at GU2 and GU3 and is calculated separately by the client.

The type of basement can also vary greatly. For example, utility basement vs. living basement.