Supply problems, lack of raw materials - as of October 2022

How someone can start a construction in 2022 and think that everything will be finished in under a year, that's almost denial of reality.

I can't say that. We have one in the construction area where everything is running like clockwork. In spring, the client briefly said that wood for the roof truss was difficult to get, two weeks later it was done. And the windows too, immediately. The photovoltaics were installed shortly afterwards, the heat pump is already installed... it will surely be moved in this year. In another house, the trades are also progressing quickly. So it's possible if you plan well and think ahead. And good work for the internal service is not only limited to small companies, especially a larger company should find it much easier to form new teams that are still operational when 5% of the employees are absent. Or to be preferentially treated by the manufacturer due to large order volumes. I maintain that as a construction company you do struggle with material, employee, and craftsman shortages, but with good work you can certainly mitigate a lot, and with poor planning you can make many things worse.

One of the main reasons to choose a prefabricated house provider was - at least for me - the predictability and the fixed timeframe. I would also be disappointed if it were suddenly postponed by half a year and would like to know the exact reason for this or whether customers of other providers are struggling with the same difficulties in order to better assess the whole situation. As you already say, there can be various causes for this in the current situation for which the construction company is not responsible. But it may also be that they messed up, right?

I can understand that one would like to know that. But that will not happen, this demand is unrealistic. Why should the general contractor say, "Yes, that's true, the material would have been there, but we messed up?" He cannot say that, if only because he would make himself legally vulnerable in terms of contracts.

I can't say that. We have one in the development area where everything is running smoothly. In the spring, the client briefly mentioned that wood for the roof frame was difficult to get, but two weeks later it was done. And the windows were installed right away as well. The photovoltaic system was installed shortly after, the heat pump is already installed... it will certainly be moved in this year. With another house, the trades are also progressing quickly. (...)

So you have one... and it started in spring... It went quite well for us too; we started in May.

For those starting now, it’s not going well at all... those few months make a big difference, believe it or not. And as already said, a forecast beyond the winter is not possible. Even a very cold January can ruin everything because then the gas reserves won't be sufficient.

In the end, only what you have both signed counts. It's hard to help when you don't know the wording of the contract. But presumably, if nothing about construction time / completion is stated in the contract, you don't have good cards there.

If what @SaniererNRW123 wrote a few posts ago is true, then having no description at all might be better than a vague one that allows the contractor to basically adjust the construction time dynamically.

I refer to the Building Code §650k. Legally mandatory are start of construction / construction time. If both are missing and nothing was specified pre-contractually (i.e. in scope of services, construction description, etc.), then you should immediately get a lawyer involved. Then the general contractor (GU) and not the client has bad cards. Because the GU massively violates legal mandatory information. For example, if the construction time is missing, the GU’s performance would be due immediately!
If a construction description is missing, the GU will likely bear additional costs. If times are missing, the GU is likely liable for damages if they delay the times. And so on.

Off to the lawyer. And immediately!

I guess the OP will only get a meaningful assessment if, for example, he finds a FB group where builders of the same manufacturer exchange ideas.

In summary: If the trust in the construction company is so low that one assumes intent or negligence because deadlines are as they are, then one should keep a distance and look for another construction company, as long as the contract has not yet been signed.