Incompetent architect - what to do?

Hello gentlemen,

I have already written here a few times, sometimes received a few tips, but the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. Reason: Our architect!

We are currently in the shell construction phase. If I had to list all the problems we have had so far, I don’t think I would finish today. I’ll just take a few points out.

1. We went through several rounds of construction planning with the architect – only to end up with a house that we don’t really like as it is. There are many little things that he just decided by himself without asking us. Just a few examples: I expected 3 “real” front doors. He designed one front door on the ground floor and planned the basement doors (office entrance and garden entrance) simply as "patio doors" made by the carpenter... with frosted glass and so on... This was never discussed, I was not aware of the consequences, he just decided. The same goes for our slab "brand Sweden slab" – or not. It’s some kind of hybrid thing. As a layman, his planning is completely opaque to me.

2. Finances. I set a fixed budget. He made the planning and told us everything fit. Now we are about 30,000 euros over because he simply didn’t include certain items in the total sum in the cost breakdown, 20,000 euros more because he didn’t even include certain ancillary costs in the breakdown, and another 15,000 swings the heating trade more expensive than planned. (Shell construction was 15k more expensive) More trades are still pending but I fear there will be sharp price increases there as well compared to the prices. Additional funding request of over 40,000 euros is running, reserves are running low.

3. Construction execution. Looking at the construction in detail compared to the plans reveals more and more massive errors in the planning. Sometimes only individual measurements are incorrectly calculated, sometimes the exterior view doesn’t match the floor plans and workshop drawings. As a layman, you only notice this when it’s already wrongly built... Just recently we found a concrete wall that is one meter too short. It’s not critical, as it only keeps out garden dirt, but it wasn’t agreed upon and simply looks bad overall.

4. Timeline. The shell constructor already anticipates he will need at least 2 weeks more than planned. I asked my architect for a valid construction schedule and he always says “the old plan is still valid.” But that can’t be true anymore. I have to plan the current house sale but I slowly don’t know what to plan anymore because all assumptions are invalid.

5. Tenders. Although pointed out several times, items are being tendered that partly don’t even exist (pellet stove from a company that doesn’t manufacture pellet stoves...), that are not needed in my construction, and that were not addressed. A tactic to confuse? Possible... In any case, I do not see what was tendered and what is actually necessary for my house.

What to do? I wanted to change the architect – but who takes on this mess without extra costs? My wife, a lawyer, is currently researching how we can hold him liable. But apparently it’s not so simple.

What do you advise me? I started the construction with a lot of time and financial reserves, but slowly both time and money are running out. Such a bungler should be banned from the trade.

Regards
Roger

Addendum: Even if we change the architect now - where do I get the assurance that it will be better afterwards?
Regards, Roger

Regarding the cost estimates: there are some things that architects do not (have to) consider. It was the same for us. For example: surveyors, soil reports, parts of the internal development (sewer is calculated, electricity, water, gas are not), land charge registration. All things that were not included. But thanks to this forum, I fortunately had knowledge about these items before all contract signings. My architect could estimate the costs for these items off the cuff and was / is even very accurate with it. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help you anymore.

As for the other thing: don’t you review tenders beforehand? There have to be execution plans (that are correct) and approved by you. I had the plans attached to the architect contract.

Changing architect is always possible. It should also be stipulated in the contract that after termination he has to hand over all plans to you as soon as possible. He can only charge for what he has delivered so far.

And whether a change won’t make everything worse… I don’t want to paint all architects with the same brush.

But simply deciding things over your head is out of the question. I would ask my architect where my signature can be found on the offer for these doors. If he doesn’t have it, he can put the doors in his basement and commission others that I chose and not him.

And the current execution plans, according to which work is now being carried out, should be signed by both parties. I will have xxx from my architect put on everything that [Papier bunt gemacht] has marked. If something doesn't fit, he is allowed to print it correctly again before signing. If it has been changed by hand on the paper, the document must bear at least two of his signatures. One at the bottom right and one again at the changed spot. Sounds paranoid but you can do a lot by just scribbling something in.

Hi,

Went through the plans? Hm ...

So yes, we received floor plans. But without explanation, without anything. Then we got the sewage plans again, but on the construction site it was built completely differently without our knowledge. We will get the revised plans sometime.

Next up are the factory plans. But those were wrong too and had unapproved parts in them. And no one is talking about the fact that the supervision didn’t really match the floor plan. But I am – dispute with the concrete wall.

But: I only received everything for information, nothing was discussed, nothing was approved by me.

I also already accused him that he is actually building his house and not my house ...

Regards
Roger

And that definitely needs to change.

YOU have to approve the plans he draws. Also the detailed plans. YOU are the client. We go through every window, every height, and every length. Already when creating the plans. Once they are as we want them, everyone puts a stamp on them. If the architect has to or wants to change something, he asks me (he has to ask).