Special tile requests, usury? Developer binding

That's not quite true. The mats are so flexible and wobbly that you really have to work well to lay them completely flat and with exact joints.

Anyone trained as a tiler can do that perfectly.

I would NEVER EVER!!! have mosaic flooring installed again.

I agree with you there. Except in the shower – you can use any surface variant there because mosaic is very slip-resistant due to the many joints.

It looked chic, but after a few months I just hated scrubbing and steaming the joints all the time.

I don’t understand. Why are the joints scrubbed and steamed constantly? Do you have such hard water that deposits form all the time?

Cutting to exact measurements is not easy with mosaic mats either. A tile cutter doesn’t work (you can’t just pull through), so you either have to angle grind, which makes precise cuts more difficult, or use tile nippers. Straight cuts are difficult again there.

As long as you don’t take very small mosaics, it works perfectly fine with a tile cutter (from about 25x25 mm). If the mosaic is smaller, then excellent with a small angle grinder/Dremel or similar.

And we’re talking about a professional tiler, not a DIYer. For €160 net, I’d even cut the mosaic 100% perfectly for you ;)

This is really crazy and I can't find or verify the prices we estimated in our offer anywhere online.

Anyone can decide that for themselves. The developer does anyway. And if you are bound to him, it means: take it or leave it.

But if I see that you only have 20x20 to 20x40 cm included in the base price, then I assume you have basically chosen a very cheap developer. Such small tiles are no longer standard today.

I agree with that.

Even the mosaic sheet requires no special effort.

It doesn’t matter: our 1.8 sqm mosaic on the shower wall end cost us €360 ten years ago. Including installation, nearly €800… the tiler wore a respirator mask and worked on it in several steps for 2 days. 1.8 sqm! Glass mosaic with special adhesive and corrosive grout for wet areas. You don’t necessarily have to clean the grout: dry rubbing is enough. Overall, you will get what you want with about €5,000 additional costs. I would try to negotiate again and if there is no concession, bite the bullet. Provided you still have the money.

I am honestly surprised and just want to quickly verify whether this is justified.

GU business model. From the tiler's perspective, it is justified if you sign the additional contract. You have no other choice; you are bound to the GU’s subcontractor. The only alternative would be to have the tiler only do the waterproofing and, after acceptance, have a tiler of your choice do the coverings. However, the subcontractor will have calculated the surcharges so that it will not be profitable for you. Sure, he has extra work, but as you correctly point out, it is not necessarily justified, though enforceable given your current negotiating position on the market. Traditionally, subs submit their offers to the GU with aggressive prices at unusually low standards, well aware that in more than half of the cases there will be an upcharge. The profit is made with the upcharges; the standard is only cost coverage. A few objectors are factored in; the upchargers ultimately have to cover for them as well in a larger GU project. And the GU does this because many clients do not scrutinize the construction service description closely, so at first the sum bottom right looks better than the competitor’s, who from the start sets a higher standard with about 60x60 cm, tiles up to 50 euros per m2, and metal rails included. If one had studied the construction service description carefully before signing the works contract, this would have been noticed and one would have had a significantly better negotiating position. Now it’s too late, eyes closed and through with it—but remember this for your next build :rolleyes:

had studied, one would have noticed and one would have

would would bicycle chain.. doesn't help the OP..

We had sizes up to 30x60 included, we decided on 60 x 60 and paid an extra charge of €22 net/sqm for it.

Therefore, I also find the prices quite steep.

Either a new tiler - you had already ruled that out

Or negotiate and hope for an acceptable result.

I would normally also say, let them do the leveling and securing and only deliver the tiles and tile adhesive. The problem is, at the moment you probably won't find anyone else.

Dear ones, thank you very much for all the answers. I am really very happy about the many pieces of information you have provided.

Yes, we will do it too. If we get what we want and I am happy every day about the tiles in the bathrooms, then it will be worth it.

I was just very surprised by the prices. Background: I calculated the costs VERY PESSIMISTICALLY (based on internet research) and in any case expected a decent markup. But the quoted prices far exceed my calculation. I wondered if I was the problem or if the tiler is really cheekily expensive. But you think so too....

But none of that helps! We have to get through this now! And yes, it’s just the business model... the tiler only does large projects and our project (city allocation of the plot) should be especially cheap to create an offer for families. In the end, I would have wished that they had charged 20 - 30k € more and at least covered things like min. 30x60 tiles, electric shutters, painting work in a framework contract (which would have been cheaper). But even here we take the situation as it is now and look forward to the home :) Thank you and best regards! Have a nice weekend and duck your head when it storms :)

P.S.:

I would normally also say, have them do the leveling and securing and only supply the tiles and tile adhesive.
The problem is, at the moment you probably won’t find anyone else either.

That is definitely a problem that I can confirm. At the moment, it is really difficult (and I am persistent) to find a craftsman for "small jobs" as a private person.