Planning/Architect, possible execution by "prefabricated house providers"

That is clear what an architect does. The actual question was whether I save money if I award a contract to a prefab builder in the turnkey finishing stage when I first hire an architect to do the work from 1-3 or 1-5.

Regards Benjamin

Hello Moser7,

Surely no one can answer that for you except the respective prefabricated house provider themselves. But I can't imagine that you can save money on that. Because the provider also has a certain planning effort for your house, for example for phases 1-3. Since the planning costs are rarely itemized directly by the providers, these costs are included in all individual positions. And if the provider agrees to a credit for planning already carried out, it certainly won't be to the extent that you have invested in the other planner.

But if you want to build a timber frame house and don't want to put yourself in the hands of prefabricated house providers with their standard plans, you can also have a timber house offered by an architect. But you should look for an architect who has already built such houses (references). Because the experience of prefabricated house providers with such timber frame houses is undisputed. The same also applies to the execution; not every carpenter can put together a valuable house, as the trickiness lies in the details of sealing, vapor barrier, etc.

Hello Benjamin,

It is clear what an architect does. The actual question was whether I save money by hiring an architect beforehand who does the work from 1-3 or 1-5 if I award the contract to a prefabricated house builder at the turnkey finishing stage.

No!

Every provider has their own architects or freelancers they work with. It only benefits them for the building permit if they happen to work with the same software as the previously involved architect, which is rarely the case. The later execution planning is also based on this planning. So if different software was used, the "new" architect has to transfer everything into the system of the respective provider.

It is further complicated by the fact that the architect’s services are included in a mixed calculation, so these costs are considered by every provider to keep their accounting correct!

You only "save" additional architect fees if you award the trades yourself afterwards. Only then will further costs from "your" architect arise because they have to create the execution planning. You need this so that you can have the bill of quantities created, which in turn causes costs.

One more info for "That One" –

it is a common statement from providers that with "free" planning the structural engineering must be recalculated. This is – with all due respect – nonsense, because even for standard houses the statics are only created after submission of the soil report. There can only be a rudimentary static calculation before, because not every building ground yields the same results regarding the statics!

Rhenish regards

Thank you construction expert, then there would still be the option of a shell construction house in the wooden house segment, then it might make sense to have simultaneous architectural planning and to contract the remaining finishing trades separately. Although that also doesn't seem very cost-effective to me. Hmhm. It would have been somehow nicer to have one single planning and then compare solid construction with wood, now I have to decide: Architect = solid construction, wood = architectural fees "thrown out the window."

Regards Benjamin

Hello Benjamin

... wood = architect's fee "thrown out the window".

Then you have the wrong mindset. How can something be called "thrown-away money" when it has only given you the right plans for you

Rhenish regards

Hello Benjamin


Then you have the wrong mindset. How can something be described as "thrown-away money" when it first gave you the right plans for you

Rhenish greetings

Hello Bauexperte,

because the timber house builder has included this service in his overall LV prices and therefore does not grant me a discount on the house if I show up with my own documents.
He would have made the plans for me for free, provided that I commit / fixate myself on one provider in this planning phase and then follow through with it.
However, this only applies to timber house builders who allow completely free planning, otherwise nothing else comes into question for me.

Regards Benjamin