Engineering office & architectural office or construction company

Hello dear ones,

since there are so many experts here and I am grateful for any information, my question is:
1.) I have found an engineering office and they work with an architectural office. They divide the project into 9 phases up to the turnkey object and also professionally accompany the project. In each phase, a tender is published and the experts are then searched for together with me. After each phase, an expert opinion on the work done is also organized, etc. The disadvantage is that they cannot guarantee me the price and the completion time of the construction cannot be controlled either, because it always depends on the experts working in the phase. This project supervision will of course also cost me extra
2.) I hire a construction company and have a price guarantee and also a certain time guarantee but have no idea what has been accepted and whether the shell construction is fine, for example

Does anyone have experience with engineering offices? Could you please share your thoughts to help me with my decision-making?

Many thanks and have a nice evening everyone.

1.) I found an engineering office that works together with an architectural firm. They divide the project into 9 phases up to the turnkey object and also professionally accompany the project. In each phase, a tender is published and experts are then sought together with me. After each phase, an expert opinion is also organized about what has been done, etc. The disadvantage is that they cannot guarantee me the price and the completion time cannot be controlled either, because it always depends on the experts working in the phase. This project supervision will of course also cost me extra

That sounds very adventurous: like a tender platform that searches for architects for you, namely for each section of the house planning (the fee regulations call this "service phases") separately – which is nonsense. Doing "expert opinions" there makes even less sense. I think this is a scam: you have no idea, but they think, "neither do we, but at least give us your money."

2.) I commission a construction company and have a price guarantee and also a certain time guarantee but have no idea what has been accepted and whether the shell construction is okay, for example.

If you go to a general contractor and commission them with your entire house construction, you can look for your own expert as a construction supervisor. In principle, there are two ways: building with your own architect (but I would not put an intermediary in between), or building without your own architect by having the builder not only build the house but also plan it (check here in the forum with the keyword "Zeichenknecht"). We still know nothing about you, your property, and its development plan – therefore, we cannot yet tell you which way is better for you. It is best to start an introduction thread here where you describe yourself and your project; start with the completed questionnaire at the top of the floor plan section: