Comparability of costs Architect vs. General Contractor

I agree – we went to the general contractor (GU) and looked at a standard house. The price here was 333k for the house including the basement according to the construction performance description. We then went through some points and made some changes – suddenly we were at €439,000 :)

What kind of changes were there to end up with 100K more on the clock in the end? I think I read here in the thread that building with the GU always ended up costing more. I would really be interested in how something like that comes about? I have a fixed price with the GU, or rather one that results from the upgrades. So the house is "finished." Therefore, as far as the GU is concerned, all costs are clear beforehand. I also have a standard house and the floor plan was slightly changed, which was no problem and there was no extra charge for it, basically just shifting some walls a bit. Also, extras that were included in advance by the house sales representative were kindly checked again during the selection process and removed again because they were unnecessary. For example, a wall opening calculated at nearly €600 was then credited back, or the window calculation brought a credit of €800. There were a few other points like that. With the credits, I then directly took on other additional orders, e.g., massive walls in the attic or electric shutters. I commissioned everything I directly agreed on with the trade myself, without the GU and without the GU adding anything extra, as is sometimes reported. The GU was out of the picture for that. For example, the standard staircase still needed a final treatment. I could have upgraded it for €800 through the GU. I then checked directly with the staircase company, and they offered the final treatment for just under €255 net. Plus the metal rods for €232 net and a newel post placed straight in front of the stringer instead of offset (standard) for €70 net. In total, I paid significantly less (€681) and got much more for it. I also requested a pre-wall installation in the bathroom for the sink and around the bathtub through the GU and was quoted just over €1,000. I directly discussed with the drywall contractor for those two things plus a boxing-in of a pipe in the utility room coming down from the bathroom above, and the drywall adjustments for the roof window; he got €400 for that. The same with the roof window, through the GU it would have been something around €1,300. Directly with the roofer, he wanted a bit less. So I hired a local roofer who installed the roof window for €1,000 at the same time as the GU roofer (who did the roofing) plus included the snow guard. Without wanting to attack anyone here, that’s far from my intention, I am always amazed at what "goes on" with your companies. I really have to say, I sometimes get quite wide-eyed at some things you read. Of course, things not in the GU’s scope, like utility connections/sewer work or something like that, I leave aside, as that is very individual.

We built for 200 all inclusive without land with a general contractor; with architects, that would not have worked. This works if your own wishes and the general contractor's concept are identical. We wanted monolithic walls, the GC always builds them like that. We wanted aerated concrete, the GC only builds with this. We wanted a bungalow, the GC builds many bungalows. We wanted good quality, but no frills. The GC is very down-to-earth and is reluctant to sell nonsense. So concrete roof tiles, not clay tiles. So PVC windows, not aluminum or mahogany. So a front door, not a prison locking system with a video camera. So tiles, not mega format. Anyone who wants to build like this will always be cheaper with the GC. It should also be added that a plot suitable for a standard house is needed. Not too steep, nicely rectangular,

What kind of changes were there in order to end up with 100K more on the clock?

How that came about for the OP, I can only guess.

I think I read here in the thread that when building with a general contractor, it always ended up costing more. I would really be interested to know how that comes about?

How that comes about – my assumption:

I have a fixed price with the general contractor,

The fixed price is not the catalog price. Yes, you can build that way, but then all builders have additional incidental building costs on top. Some builders here mistakenly include those in their calculations. So there are already discrepancies in the statements.
Furthermore, the general contractor cites contingent items, whether you take them or not.
It may be that the OP, according to the performance specification, as he writes, has 330,000 including the basement, but in conversation “I want this, I want that,” like controlled residential ventilation, larger hot water tank, different heating, better KfW standard, etc., with a double garage and top-of-the-line roller shutters, then the general contractor’s listed additional incidental building costs ultimately come to 439,000.

As far as the general contractor is concerned, all costs are clear beforehand.

Incidental building costs depend on the plot of land. But some here incorrectly include them in the calculation.

The surcharges for items, the “small ones” that you can arrange with the tradespeople, you can also initially ask the general contractor about: with us, a “general contractor socket” cost 30€ or so, while the electrician charged only 19. So the 30 would initially be set in the room, flat for 50 extra that is 1500. So if you add up all items with the pure catalog house, it can very well be that you push the “fixed price” up by 1/3 or 1/4.
Our catalog house cost 150,000 according to the performance description. With direct changes, air space, plaster choice, windows, and KfW, etc., we ended up at 185,000. With a garage 195,000. If we had calculated every change and tile upgrade, we would probably have ended up at 205,000. If I had then also added the incidental building costs of 20,000 and created a thread here, I would therefore talk about 150,000//235,000.
P.S. What you should know: What you run through the general contractor has a 5-year warranty, through the tradesperson only 2 years.

The surcharges for items, the "small" ones, that can be arranged with the craft businesses, can also initially be asked from the general contractor (GU).

Is this approach "ok" for the majority of GUs? Does one have to clarify this with the GU in advance so that he doesn't feel bypassed? Or is this daily business?

Do you have to clarify something like this with the general contractor beforehand so that he doesn’t feel bypassed?

I actively demanded this from our general contractor beforehand before I finalized the contract and financing.

He gave me the list of craftsmen and where necessary I arranged on-site appointments to check the standard. Especially in the bathroom area, very insightful. You can consider "moderate" upgrades with 5k, or also 20k as an absolute minimum just above social housing level.

If the general contractor hadn’t enabled this for me, that would have been a deal-breaker for me, which I also told him. I have to be able to properly plan my construction project and these questions are exactly part of that for me.

Is this procedure "ok" for the majority of GCs? Do you have to clarify something like this with the GC in advance so that he doesn’t feel bypassed? Or is this daily business?

Most don’t want anything to do with the fuss. Too many warranty claims: here fuss, there fuss, fuss breaks or moves, comes loose, falls off, then the call to the GC comes. Directly through the craftsman they are out. For sockets they still gave us a price. For the additional drywall work it was clearly communicated that we can request Diet and Dat directly there. Same with the plumbing. For the stairs, unfortunately we had the risers done via GC because it belonged to the house due to the storage room and it did not arise later.