Price increase - Our construction company wants 21.4% more

I think many people feel the same way....and that the construction industry has so much power and freedom to act foolishly here is actually unbelievable. Very sad, but true. I also think peace of mind is very valuable and therefore the decision is quite understandable. Personally, I always struggle quite hard and for a long time with such things.

PS: Yes, there are also honest and decent companies....but (in our experience) they are very, very rare and you have to find them first...most of the time you only realize it afterwards. The industry is just doing too well (honestly unfortunately), it doesn’t even have to deliver good work anymore and has no interest in doing so. It used to be very different.

Having to be afraid with every trip to the mailbox that an unpleasant lawyer’s letter is inside, expecting bad news with every phone call, waiting months or years to see whether the house construction will happen or not, I can’t take it anymore.

"Deliveries are to be made exclusively to the law firm." Forget the idea that lawyers would fuel conflicts. Your contract "partner" is fully aware of their scam and will shy away from a court case also because your fellow sufferers would hear about it. They understand that sometimes you lose in their game. Of ten victim lambs, only one defends itself, which is where the profit comes from.
You can still afford the hundred for the consultation. Then you can always choose to back out if the lawyer, against my expectations, sees a chance to lose ;-) .

and that the construction industry has so much power and impunity here is actually unbelievable. Very sad, but true.

No, the impunity only arises through victims who shy away from legal action. In offenses requiring a complaint, criminal liability only applies if a report is filed. If the victims misuse their freedom to be ripped off, the law comes up empty—but it deserves no blame for that.

I don't believe that you will be confronted with even more price increases. And I also don't believe that you are being ripped off. At best, you might be able to recover some of the additional costs.

No, the freedom of fools only arises through victims who avoid the legal process. In the case of offenses requiring a complaint, criminal liability only applies when a report is filed. When the victims "abuse" their freedom to be ripped off, the law comes up empty – but it deserves no blame for that.

You are not entirely wrong, but I see it a bit differently... do you have much experience in construction law? I myself studied law, but not in Germany (rather in Switzerland and am therefore only partially deployable in Germany). I do know quite well how things work, but in construction based on my own experience it is unfortunately not just black or white... even if one sees it that way. There are so many parties involved... one blames the other and it goes on like that. That makes it so easy for the "cheaters" or at least the clever companies. In addition, you are often dealing with significantly "more powerful" opponents who have made this bamboozling an integral part of their business model and know exactly how far they can go to avoid making it look too obvious. They likely also have their insurances, etc. and can just let it run without having to consider whether the costs of a legal dispute are worth it. In no other sector can one afford to act like the construction industry... that immediately has consequences. And I speak from experience, I have worked in legal departments of large pharmaceutical companies. We have already had three initial consultation talks (which by the way don’t cost "a hundred bucks," but 190 + VAT) and the tenor was always the same... you can do it, prospects unclear, potentially takes forever... in the end possibly a lot of trouble and you come out roughly even. Filing a lawsuit is not difficult, but what comes out in the end? For good reason, you hardly find any German lawyer who does this under the fee arrangement because it’s so much work and usually drags on like chewing gum. The case like this one in the thread is admittedly (theoretically) somewhat clearer/simpler. In my opinion, the matter with defects etc. is many times more difficult than you portrayed.

Sorry, I still have to add that in our case it is an apartment in a multi-family house. Due to the ownership situation, it is also much more difficult to initiate anything or to take action against certain things.

I can also confirm this from my work – even our lawyer, who has been exclusively practicing construction law for over 20 years, always tries to solve problems without going to court, as only damage claims in medical law are more complex and unpredictable. The expert witness fees alone are a nightmare. And it’s not as if price increases don’t exist. We were lucky for a long time, but the well-stocked warehouses of our suppliers are slowly emptying as well.
I would still recommend an examination, maybe some additional claims can be obtained.