Costs for our house construction

Wow, thank you construction expert! That really helps me. I have also made a plan for the [Baunebenkosten], but now I notice that I had forgotten a few things. That’s why my estimated costs were a bit lower. Now I have a better overview.

Best regards

Kati

Hello Kati,

3. Earthworks

- Removal of excess soil (normal soil conditions) for basement, approx. €1500.00
- Internal development (wastewater/rainwater pipes), approx. €2,500 – depending on pipe route
- Inspection shafts, soakaway or infiltration shaft, approx. €1,900.00 - €2,200.00

4. House connection costs

- Electricity/gas/water/telecom, connection to the sewer, approx. €8,000.00 - €8,500.00 - varies by municipality

5. Fees

- Acceptance of drainage pipe, approx. €150.00 - varies by municipality
- Chimney sweep (inspection of chimney / gas system - note fee charged twice), approx. €200.00 - varies by municipality
- Land registry office (transfer of surveyor data into the property map), approx. €150.00 – varies by municipality

Hello Bauexperte,

I have now gone through my documents once again and still have 1-2 questions.

Regarding earthworks: Do these figures only apply to houses with basements, or are the costs always incurred?

Regarding house connection costs: In the property overview of the building area, the costs for our plot are given, and then also €2950 for house connection and subdivision measurement. Therefore, I thought the connection costs were already included. But you write €8,000-8,500. What could that be about?

Do you happen to also know what a garage with extra length might cost? That of course still has to be included in the plan.

Best regards

Kati

Kati, the costs for earthworks always apply, unless it is explicitly mentioned that they are included, which is very rare, because technically it is basically not possible. The contractor does not know in advance what soil conditions he will encounter. Also, you will rarely get by with the usually included 15 cm frost protection layer. We actually have rather good, dry soil but still need up to 60 cm of frost protection. And as already mentioned, a lot of money goes on during the sample selection, even if you are determined to only take the included standard. We actually have relatively high-quality goods in the standard program of our contractor (e.g. tiles up to 30,- EUR / sqm), but still there is a whole list of additional charges.

Hello Kati,

On the topic of earthworks: Do these specifications only apply to houses with basements or do the costs always apply?

"Removal of excess soil (normal ground conditions) for basement, approx. €1,500.00" only applies with a basement. For a slab foundation, only the topsoil needs to be removed; you can later spread the excess soil around the property. However, there is an exception: if the encountered ground conditions require filling or soil replacement, you will have to recalculate these costs; depending on soil class and distance to the disposal site, it can also be more.

The other specifications "Internal development (wastewater/rainwater pipes), approx. €2,500 – depending on the pipeline route – inspection shafts, soakaway or infiltration shaft, approx. €1,900.00 - €2,200.00" also apply to slab foundations. There are also municipalities – such as Leverkusen – that do not allow soakaways but require connection to the wastewater sewer. You see, there are many differences to consider. Where do you want to build?

On the topic of house connection costs: In the property overview of the development area, the costs for our plot are indicated, and then €2,950 for house connection and partial metering. Therefore, I thought the connection costs were already included. But you write €8,000-8,500. What could that be about?

I cannot truthfully answer that for you; for one seller it refers to the connection in the street, for another to the connection up to your property.
But I can hardly imagine that the seller should cover all costs for sewer, water, gas, and electricity; the amount you mentioned – including partial surveying – is too low for that. Call the responsible property office/seller and ask what this amount refers to or what it covers.

Do you happen to know roughly how much a garage with extra length might cost? That of course also has to go into the plan.

Yes, I happen to know

I always recommend taking a prefabricated garage; masonry is usually about 50% more expensive due to the hours of craftsmanship, plus you lose interior space due to the thickness of the wall. With my partner in prefabricated garages, a 3 x 9 m garage costs €7,200.00 plus additional extras such as sectional doors.

Kind regards

There are also municipalities – such as Leverkusen, for example – which do not allow soakaways but instead require mandatory connection to the sewage system.

That is not true, in LEV I am required to let my rainwater infiltrate into a soakaway!

Hello Perlenmann,

That's not true, in LEV I am forced to let my rainwater infiltrate in a soakaway!

Fine, then that is one of the proverbial exceptions; be happy, over the years you will save a lot of fees through the soakaway

I have only encountered this case once in Leverkusen and it was quite strange; to put it mildly. In Bürrig, one of my clients also "had to" build a soakaway => requirement of the municipality. Still, nothing was possible without a hydrogeological report and nothing without exemption from the actually prescribed connection to the sewage system

It could all be so simple .....

Kind regards