Request for quote regional general contractor tips?

Do you have experience with construction or someone who knows about it? Otherwise, I would be cautious about outsourcing the basement.

All offers from regional general contractors, whether solid construction or timber construction, have so far clearly exceeded those of prefabricated house providers. However, I have now often read that regional general contractors are at least price-matched. What tips do you have for finding regional general contractors who also approach the price range of prefabricated house providers? Or can I pretty much forget about that? In terms of construction services, of course, we have compared like with like.

You have read absolutely correctly that regional general contractors are at least price-matched. That they "clearly exceed" the smoke-and-mirrors offers is not a contradiction but is inherent in the nature of the matter. So be glad that the regional general contractors do not "approach the price range of prefabricated house providers," because that would be the direction of cheating. Pay an honest price and be happy not to fall for someone trying to sell you the line about the falsely lower price.

PS. We want to build in the Main Kinzig district, close to the Fulda district.

Even I don’t know offhand which providers have already been "reviewed" here—just take a look in the section "Experiences with Construction Company So-and-So."

Another question: How can a layperson compare properly?

Not at all as a layperson:

Classic Excel spreadsheet.

Because that’s exactly where the trap lies. Excel tables only capture parametrically definable dimensions, are excellent for "comparing" apples with pears, and ultimately produce the deceptive illusion of having found the path to wisdom. Moreover, they only have two dimensions—so one cannot avoid incorporating deviations as text comments, and that leads to the situation with sums, from which, as is well known, only fools cut corners. At that point, you might as well write "nämlich" with an "h," which would have the same outcome but at least might be caught by a spelling check. In Excel, the nonsense looks just like mathematics and can thus boast the appearance of a "calculation result." Better look around for which regional general contractors have satisfied customers. You won’t get those from a slick operator. Incidentally, tendering and construction supervision are services that you can also book individually from architects, even if they have not designed the house. As a layperson, you can hardly make anything other than expensive mistakes there.

It means that it would actually be more sensible for us to approach an architect, have them plan, and obtain trades? We were advised against this by a female architect because the architect can design our dream floor plan but still end up significantly over budget. And to avoid the risk, we should rather inform ourselves separately.

Yes, that is always difficult, a general contractor carries fewer surprises.
It's best if you can also rely on a recommended architect who has stayed within the budget. There are always those and those.

Does that mean it would actually be more sensible for us to approach an architect, have them plan and obtain trades?

At first I thought you no longer needed a planner, and that an architect should be commissioned by you with the tendering and construction management. Meanwhile, I have also read your planning thread and am convinced that you do need a planner as well.

We were advised against it by a female architect because the architect could plan our dream floor plan but still end up significantly over budget with it.

A female architect advises against architects? – now I’m really curious about the background.

And to avoid the risk, we should rather inform ourselves separately.

I still have not understood what purpose separate researching would serve. I do see budget adherence as a planning objective that can definitely be incorporated into an architect’s contract. After all, that is no decorative minor detail; even the vast majority of builders can’t just print money themselves.

yes, that is always difficult, a general contractor carries fewer surprises. Ideally, you can also rely on a recommended architect who has stayed within the budget. There are always good ones and bad ones.

But such an architect is hard to find. There are hardly any online reviews.