Surcharge for subsequent sampling, discount for withdrawal

You are building with a general contractor (GU), right?
And in the construction performance description, there are only standard stairs in a plain 08/15 design?

Yes, that’s a problem: extravagant special equipment doesn’t work with a general contractor. You should know that beforehand before signing and deciding against an architect’s house. Where there is light, there is also shadow.

Yes, exactly GU with standard stairs, although we knew from the beginning that it would not be the stairs and had them write the price into the bill of quantities (LV).

The GU builds “turnkey” at his fixed price, with the items he orders from his building partners. If an entirely different staircase builder is now ordered, then he has to cooperate with other companies unknown to him. With his known companies, he possibly even orders with a discount, because he orders the item 20 times for 20 houses, which he now doesn’t have. This could explain the markup on business expenses.

It is by far not turnkey. If it’s a completely different company, okay, I can understand that. You don’t know each other. But for a different house door at the same dealer of the GU? What additional effort is there if the door is not blue but now red?

Yes.

That even seems low to me and can be found in the discount I described above: if a washbasin costs €499 in the bill of quantities, then the GU probably only pays €199 for it. You remove the washbasin and only get compensated €199 for it, not the €499.

We don’t have unit prices for everything, so the GU could actually pull something out of thin air if we asked. Your argument makes sense but would also require price transparency.

Are 25% and 15% “normal amounts”?

I also wonder what happens if I don’t sign this... I don’t want to cancel it, but I could negotiate, right?

Do I understand correctly: You are supposed to sign a protocol that was never discussed that way? I would flat out refuse and seek a clarifying conversation.

But for a different front door from the same dealer of the general contractor? What extra effort is there if the door is not blue, but now red?

ok.. sorry, I understood that differently.

We don’t have individual prices for everything, so the general contractor can actually make something up.

but that would also require price transparency.

Exactly. But a general contractor doesn’t do that. You sign a fixed price. As already said: where there is light, there is also shadow. A house from a general contractor doesn’t have to be bad, it is usually very sophisticated and works if you don’t take the worst one. But it also has disadvantages with the special equipment.

It also says there that we agreed that if we now remove items, instead of crediting the price in the bill of quantities, 15% will be withheld from that amount. Is it done like this as lost margin?

It is common practice that the profit stays with the company when trades are removed. At the same time, money is made on up-samplings. But I have never heard it put as openly and explicitly as you have.

Do I understand this correctly: You are supposed to sign a protocol that was never discussed like that? I would flat out refuse and look for a clarifying conversation.

Basically, yes. 70% of the topics included were not addressed in the said phone call. I don’t find that so bad, it can be made up for. At the end of the call, it was said that he would send us a protocol for signature.
Protocol sounds more like "acknowledgment," but here it is definitely a contract amendment. What was also surprising was the statement in response to my inquiry that we hadn’t discussed all that and that we shouldn’t nitpick every word... o_O
We still need to look for a conversation, the question is whether we will also accept the percentages and how we want to proceed.

It is common for the profit to remain with the company when trades are removed. At the same time, the money is made on sampling. But I have never heard it expressed as openly and explicitly as you do.

Ok, that point is fair too. A point for my general contractor who communicates that. What actually bothers me is the manner and the amount... 15% profit is quite a figure.

And adding 1500 euros on top just because the door now has a different color, somehow I lack the imagination for that.

What would happen if we don't sign this?