Request for advice

What is the invoice amount?

4800€ just for insulation and insulation strips, screed layer wanted 1500€, so a hefty amount

they were two people working on it for 1 week on 160sqm

We did it ourselves and needed 3 days with three unskilled people. I would also claim that we did it more meticulously than most screed or heating installers. I find two skilled people working for a week quite excessive. Originally, it was planned to be done by the heating installer.

We took a bit over 7 days for 240 sqm - the two of us. We also worked carefully, used very little loose insulation, and did a lot of carving. But I never want to do it again..... However, including screed and insulation, I paid a bit over 6,000... I find that really high for the TE.

It is now rather uncommon for the heating engineer to also design the insulation. It is of course clear that this takes longer. That it naturally requires 1 week is too much. Realistically, 2 to 2.5 days would be more appropriate for a "precise" design.

The question remains, of course, why the architect handed over the design to the heating engineer! From an outsider’s perspective, you had a fixed price with the screed layer and now the insulation design is charged at an hourly rate by the heating engineer. Since the architect told you this and you agreed, the contract is also verbally valid.

The only thing you might still try is to have the work hour records shown/given to you. These should include the date, employee, time, and materials used. They should be signed either by the client (you) or the architect. Whether this is legally binding in case of dispute, I cannot tell you.

Best regards

I read a lot in this forum, most of the time the situation is exactly the opposite. The client has agreed on something that was not adhered to and is asking for advice here. 99% of the time the question comes up, "was it documented in writing?...if not, then you probably have to accept it as it is.."

Here the architect has now communicated something verbally and the written side says something else...but here a valid contract still exists...?