Cost comparison of concrete or clay bricks

Hello,

originally, concrete roof tiles Harzer Pfanne F+ were planned for our house, as the roof only has a pitch of 12 degrees. Our carpenter as well as our architect were of the opinion (also with regard to the low pitch) that it would be better to use clay tiles. These are tiles from the company Braas Rubin 9V.

After this measure, we would have to pay an additional charge. However, when I compare the prices of the different tiles, the price difference is not that high. Now I have heard that the labor involved in laying clay tiles is considerably higher and that the installation is therefore more expensive. Is that true?

Hello,

originally, concrete roof tiles Harzer Pfanne F+ were planned for our house, as the roof has only a slope of 12 degrees.

And – crystal ball mode on – did no one tell you that this tile is not usable in the case of DN 12°?

Our carpenter as well as our architect thought (also with regard to the low slope) that it would be better to use clay tiles.

Correct.

Now I have heard that the labor involved in laying clay tiles is considerably higher and that laying them is therefore more expensive. Is that true?

Yes, that is true, also the breakage rate is higher. Depending on the roof area, between EUR 2,000 and EUR 3,500 for a normal single-family house.

Best regards

And - crystal ball mode on - nobody told you that this pan is unusable in the case of DN 12°?

Well, no... Nobody said that, although according to the internet description the F+ should actually be usable... Now I wonder, if you already suspected that, is it common practice to offer it even though the carpenter should know that it is not usable?

Yes, that’s true, the breakage is also higher. Depending on the roof area, between TEUR 2 and TEUR 3.5 for a normal single-family house.

According to our architect AND carpenter, the additional effort with the clay tiles is about 5TEUR... However, since it wasn’t my fault with the wrong offer, I would get them for only 1.6TEUR. That sounded fair at first, but now I have compared the prices. According to an online building materials dealer, one tile of the F+ costs €1.13 each, which would be €9.27 per m², and the clay tile costs €1.18, €11.10 per m².
The price difference between the tiles for a roof of about 140m² is not really high, that means only about €300 rounded... So am I paying €1,300 more because of the higher installation costs? Or how would the original price of just under €5,000 come about? Either I don’t understand something (which can certainly happen, since I’m a layman) or I’m being taken for a ride...

Hello,

Well, no... No one said that, although according to the internet description the F+ would actually be usable... Now I wonder, if you already suspected that, is it common practice that it is offered even though the carpenter should know that it is not usable?

I assume now without guarantee of accuracy — the provider knows, the carpenter improves his margin with the necessary offer.

The price difference between the tiles would not really be high for a roof of about 140m², i.e. barely 300€ rounded... So I pay 1,300€ more because of the higher installation costs? Or how would the original price of almost 5,000€ come about? Either I don't understand something (which certainly can happen, since I'm an amateur) or I'm being taken for a ride...

Are you only dealing with the carpentry work, or in the meeting with the same?

You are making the same mistake as many construction laymen. With clay roof tiles, it is not only about the price difference to the concrete roof tiles — that difference is not that significant. It also concerns the substructure, i.e. the carpenter’s work. The rafters have to be placed much closer together, which results in higher material and labor costs. The roofer cannot just lay the tiles but must clip them; breakage is also a considerable issue. In total, for a roof of the size you mentioned, costs easily add up to 2,000 - 3,000 euros; where the difference comes from is beyond my knowledge.

Kind regards

Thank you for your reply! That is good to know again. I have now asked for clarification as the carpenter is visiting our architect again today. Basically, the installation of the clay tiles for our house is an upgrade, and we are not paying the full asking price (however that came about).

Nevertheless, there remains a bit of a lingering doubt about the matter.

I still do not understand why the F+ stone cannot be installed at 12 degrees. On all the sites I find, exactly the opposite is promoted, namely that it can be used even for flat roofs from 7 degrees. However, the architect also told us that this F+ stone is apparently no longer available... But that cannot be true either, as it can still be ordered from a building materials supplier with a delivery time of 5-10 days...