Comparability of costs Architect vs. General Contractor

For me, the further spread of building with a general contractor can only be explained by the people's need for security here. And in the end, 90% end up paying extra anyway, many even significantly more than they thought at signing.

Yes! Guarantees cost money. I think the general contractor will only be able to guarantee/maintain the fixed price if they plan a proper buffer. We also include that buffer in the budget to cushion surprises. That buffer basically costs us money too, as we could have invested it profitably in the meantime :)

Planning with architects often gets more expensive too, because you get shown nicer sample materials - trade fair innovations, higher-quality versions - and then you want them as well. :D My weekend shopping at the discount store is also cheaper than when I’m let loose in the delicatessen section.

Yes - a colleague is currently building herself and has moved far away from the original budget, as the wishes immediately multiply like a thousand children. However, this effect probably also applies to the general contractor :) For example, we have already gotten rid of the fireplace - we are currently living in a KFW70 semi-detached house with a heat pump and underfloor heating and don’t know when we would even light the fireplace (if we had one now)... Because the house being cold is definitely not the reason ;)

and don’t know when we should still light the fireplace (if we had one now)... Because the house is cold, definitely not ;)

You can always turn it on. The fire is - except in midsummer - always cozy and nice ;) . But of course, it is also a cost driver. As a rule, the architect’s house becomes more expensive because the client always has new ideas. But the architect can’t do anything about that.

Ui ui ui, oh oh oh, ouch ouch ouch!

With Eric Malpass, the world is still in order at seven in the morning, but here in the forum this morning at seven a big barrel full of all sorts of nonsense from all regulars' tables about architects and general contractors was poured out. I first had to take a little cup of heart drops, and now I will address everything that was spouted in a keyword-based all-round attack:

Buying an architectural design and then going to the general contractor, leaving further planning to them:
Buying just a set of plans from a freelance architect without having them detail and implement it would be casting pearls before swine and, on top of that, unwise. That would mean killing two birds with one stone, unfortunately both as own goals. Namely, first using the architect merely as a creative type and giving away the real added value that the composer conducts personally. There are always thoughts that cannot be notated in a score – these get lost if a "stranger" finishes the brilliant work.

Going to the general contractor with a forum design:
In this case, you only get a "prettier" house than would have occurred to the frustrated draftsman, but without the sophisticated implementation. Because: such a forum community obviously cannot take over site management via video chat.

General contractors forward requested extra work to their craftsmen and then mark up their offer prices:
This assumption reveals a fundamentally wrong idea of the procedure. Smart general contractors have their own core team (mostly masons, concrete workers, and helpers) and prefer to choose subs for the additional trades who are skilled and hardworking craftsmen but weak as estimators and would starve as salespeople if the general contractor did not take them by the hand and at least secure their bread under their butter as a regular client. The general contractor estimates himself, and the markup has two factors: the expected actual extra effort and possibly a defensive price factor if the client should rather be spared the special request. The subcontractor only calculates on their own if the general contractor takes the trade out (e.g., because the client wants to take an unproven route, heating-wise, from the general contractor's point of view).

Architects forward requested extra work to their craftsmen and then mark up their offer prices:
The tender is conducted by the architect only after the scope of work description has been finalized with the client. Making changes to the bill of quantities after awarding the contract to the bidder is the absolute dumbest thing a client can do cost-wise, and the architect will thoroughly drill this basic principle into the client in good time. Markups, commissions, kickbacks, and the like would be unethical and could cost the architect their registration in the architects' registry.

Architect-designed houses exceed price estimates like Kulenkampff with broadcast time; the greedy clients are to blame:
That architects significantly exceed price estimates occurs primarily – and almost exclusively – in two cases: namely, when the architect has been practically "off the radar" due to many years in academia and/or when they are passed around as star architects in nouveau riche circles. Therefore, one should preferably avoid professors/adjunct lecturers or those architects responsible for the mansions of the provincial socialites. Good, budget-faithful architects are completely unknown to the yellow press. And of course it costs extra if even the guest WC has a gold rim on the bowl – but that is the same with general contractor builds.

With an easy-care plot and desired profile, the draftsman’s rendition is sufficient:
You don’t primarily need an architect for originality, and at least compared to 98% of normal home builders, the differences between Hoppenstedts and Biedermeiers are indeed not worth flying in a big artist for. But that is not what architectural planning is about; it is about a craftily and cleanly organized implementation of complex framework conditions into just a three-dimensional habitable object. The reason why the general contractor’s planner has to box in downpipes unattractively is simply that they do not plan them (in their exact course) at all because general contractor planning largely replaces detailed planning with "just so," omits non-approval-relevant details, and the downpipes first appear at all in drainage planning.

Extra charge for differently colored front door has to do with volume discounts:
That is nonsense already because we mostly talk about PVC doors here, and "anthracite" doors are also white and just foil-wrapped. Charging 2,300 euros for that is clearly princely pay for 300 euros foil wrapping and about 2,000 euros half-and-half as a defensive surcharge and a sauna club house price for an ordinary fairground beer.

Concrete stairs more expensive than steel stringer stairs:
The "crane" solution is very likely the bullseye here. Formworking concrete stairs on site has become extremely "out of fashion," mainly due to skilled labor shortage. Precast concrete stairs cannot be carried in casually by two movers like the piano from mother in Massachusetts, but often require a separate crane appointment (including road closure and all other rigmarole). The parts for steel stringer stairs only require a small truck crane. And: this brings a shift in thinking, and the metalworker stands idle here because they are not needed when installing a concrete stair.

Building with a general contractor out of the need for a price guarantee:
A general contractor usually will not calculate differently whether they bid for all lots in a single contract or offer a client a price based on their Sweethome3D floor plan. The amount of markup mainly depends on the duration of the offer’s binding period.

Even if you are right about the other points, I have to contradict you here!

The general contractor basically doesn’t care whether the house is properly built and whether it also works well in everyday life.

It’s not that they don’t care... okay, if they build over 200 houses a year, one or another house will fail. But basically, their evaluations have to be correct on a supra-regional level, unlike those of the architect who is recommended regionally and plans 3-6 houses a year. The standard houses work in everyday life! Only if, of course, the client wants a dressing room for madam, the client wants his urinal, the children's bathroom and so on and so forth, no matter how small they are, somewhere the 4–14 sqm will be missing – in a 120/140 sqm house you notice that. Ultimately, every standard house comes from the mind of an architect.

The architect plans with much more passion. Ideally, he wants to deliver top quality and plan a reference project for his skills.

Yes, but reference project, passion and top quality in the sense of a freelancer quite significantly conflict with everyday functionality and practical processes. That might work on over 120 sqm floor area per level, but not with the “stripped down” sizes of the standard house size.

He also thinks about practical processes inside and around the house

and whether it also functions well in everyday life.

I already wrote it above: either the architect’s house fits in with the GC houses (visually and in terms of floor plan) or they are exotic, which, although cool, mega, genius, weird, interestingly different looking, have a very convoluted daily routine. And he may be different but not convoluted – he does not exactly have a good reputation as discussed here in the forum. But as I already said: if you plan a house over 200 sqm, the world looks more relaxed for everyone. At 140 sqm, you always end up in the same place. Due to my job, I get to see all facets of interior spaces. As a former real estate photographer, especially architect houses in the higher price segment, but also the average ones.

You can always light it. The fire is - except for the midsummer - always cozy and nice ;). But of course it is also a cost driver.

As a rule, the architect's house becomes more expensive because the client always has new ideas. But the architect can't do anything about that.

Very good. We can control ourselves pretty well ;) ... No, honestly :D

I believe the saying "architect houses are more expensive" is a correlation, but not causation. Because: Of course, someone with a 2 million budget prefers to build with an architect rather than with a general contractor who works with standard house types. This usually means that the more expensive properties come from the architect. However, that is a correlation - the causal relationship between "architect" and "expensive" would only exist if he could fundamentally only build expensively. Many of you have noted, however, that the architect builds what he is commissioned to build. And if that is “only” a nice, cozy, rectangular house with 160 sqm and an individual floor plan for 400k euros, then hopefully he sticks to that.