Construction expert - how does he calculate the repair costs

And now there is a different picture. Announcing 2000€ and charging 4400€ is a completely different matter. This concerns a deviation from what was agreed upon, which the issuer of the invoice must justify, and not the general manner in which such an expert opinion is created. Just ask what you really want to know and not something else.

Unfortunately, I have nothing in writing on this and would also like to be able to argue substantively, and not just be able to refer to the first phone conversation with him. Hence the initial question.

Best regards

Your first telephone conversation is the basis of the fee.

On which level do you want to communicate with him? How he is supposed to do his work?

I wouldn’t do anything verbally anymore but create clarity by email!

About €2000 was announced on the phone, now €4400, what’s going on with you?! Please adjust the invoice.

I find 25 hours excluding on-site appointment and travel time for a rough, informal appraisal of renovation costs also clearly too much. Most items he will dismiss from experience, if something is not quite familiar to him he might ask a colleague or even a craftsman. 25 hours are after all three full working days, that doesn’t add up, he needs that time for a court appraisal. Or has he demonstrably actually obtained offers for the individual items or conducted similar efforts? The 2000€ seem realistic to me, then wanting to charge more than double that... in my opinion cheeky.

: exactly my thoughts.