Comparability of costs Architect vs. General Contractor

Unexplainable extra costs are relative: if you consider that with a floor-level shower not only the shower tray is omitted, but also the tiler, screed layer, and plumber have more work... an additional wall is tiled, with a barrier underneath again, then a surcharge of 1000€ is justified. Most general contractors have sophisticated modular systems...

That may certainly apply to some general contractors. But if a roller shutter costs a flat extra 800 EUR (regardless of size and I know that for that I can get a whole window (not floor-level) with a higher security level and roller shutter, then I'm pretty sure someone wants to deeply dig into all my pockets and the slit as well...

If you don't have to spin pirouettes on the property and more or less find yourself in the scope of services, you can build cheaper with a general contractor (GU) in good conscience for yourself and the budget.

That is "the heart of the matter" and let's try to find out – of course, in retrospect there will be no one who has built the same house with an architect and a general contractor, logically. The house is supposed to be a normal house and we naturally have a budget – like everyone else. The architect’s cost must not simply exceed the estimate by 20%. To everyone: who has an assessment of how much the architect is allowed to overshoot? Are there liability issues with incorrect estimates? I think the architect has an interest in adhering to it. We are not concerned about recesses, marble floors, "crooked walls" etc., but rather about the "way to the house," which is currently too opaque with the general contractor. It's okay if the price is the same in the end – we just hope for better "accommodation of our small wishes."

An example: We would like a concrete staircase without covering, as we want to do that ourselves later. The general contractor offers a steel stringer staircase. The concrete staircase (from the basement to the upper floor) is supposed to cost an additional 10,000 euros. According to internet research and conversations with colleagues who have built themselves, all agreed unanimously that a concrete staircase without covering should be significantly cheaper than the steel stringer staircase.

According to experience, architect houses are more expensive because you have to pay for the service.

Fair!

With a general contractor, it is now as it was offered. And we are happy.

I also believe that regardless of architect/ general contractor, when we sit in our house, we will be happy. If I thought otherwise, we wouldn’t be building :)

That may well apply to some GCs. But if a roller shutter costs a flat rate of 800 EUR extra (regardless of size and I know that for that I can get an entire window (not floor-to-ceiling) with a higher security level and roller shutter, then I am quite sure that someone wants to dig deep into all my pockets and into the slit for it...

That is the case with our GCs as well - every deviation from the standard costs an inexplicable surcharge. Another example is, for instance, the door in anthracite instead of white, which is supposed to cost 2,300€ extra. There is already a white door with installation included in the construction service description - anthracite-colored doors do not necessarily cost more than white ones, if you look around.

of course, in hindsight there will be nobody who has built the same house with architect and general contractor,

But it would really be interesting. I hereby promise that if I ever win 10 times my lifetime needs in the lottery, I will dare to try the experiment and publish the result. ;)

It is the same with our general contractors – every deviation from the standard costs an inexplicable surcharge. Another example is the door in anthracite instead of white, which is supposed to cost an additional 2,300€. A white door with installation is already included in the scope of work description – anthracite-colored doors do not necessarily cost more than white ones if you look around.

Poor general contractor, many have large administrations that need to be paid. Surcharges are a welcome extra income there.

That may well apply to some GCs. But if a roller shutter costs a flat rate of 800 EUR extra (regardless of size and I know that I can get a whole window (not floor-to-ceiling) with a higher security level and roller shutter for that), then I am quite sure that someone wants to reach deep into all my pockets and into the slit as well...

True. But some don't want such roller shutters at all or you simply take the GC who offers that in the scope of services. It is always somewhat off and tastes bland when you choose the GC for cost reasons and then equip the good+cheap build with "expensive" things. In the end, you actually come out cheaper with a more expensive GC. The timeline of my experience here in the forum leads me to the conclusion that the surcharges for cheap houses are higher than for the somewhat more expensive ones. In the higher-end segment, these upgrades are either already included or can be added at no cost. It is no coincidence that the house is cheap: fast cheap subcontractors simply do not build individually for this price.

In retrospect, we were glad. There was a fixed price, many things were done cost-neutral (walls moved) and if there were surcharges, they were passed on 1:1 or directly charged with the craftsman of the trades.

We were also lucky: chose the GC according to the individual house type and did not compare, as it was unique. Even the window areas were not counted. That was of course a pleasure that we could do as we wanted.

that the concrete staircase without covering should be significantly cheaper than the steel stringer staircase.

Well, I actually believe that steel stringers are cheaper than concrete ;)

If I thought differently, we wouldn't be building :)

What I mean is: there are many builders here who get hung up on little things. "One should have, one should have..."... in hindsight, some do get annoyed about the construction method and so on.

It is the same with our GCs - every deviation from the standard costs an inexplicable extra price. Another example is the door in anthracite instead of white, which supposedly costs 2,300€ extra. There is already a white door with installation included in the scope of services -

Why don't you take a GC who has anthracite in the scope of services? For us, the whole anthracite package cost 2300. In the scope of services, the wooden door in choice color was listed :)