The business with the toilet

Hello,

I have previously researched the prices online in detail for the things I would like to have.

That is fundamentally the wrong approach to start with! The internet will neither install a bathtub nor a shower for you (simply setting up and connecting a basic washbasin or a simple toilet is not rocket science, though). These offers are purely object prices; the costs for transport and installation are completely missing.

I refuse to pay 980€ in this offer for a washbasin that I can buy on the internet for 250€!

The first question here is, which series is it and are you sure that the sanitary objects are qualitatively comparable to those of your general contractor – or his plumber? I always think of the comparison bathroom fittings hardware store vs. specialist trade – there are worlds in between. If you can answer this question with "yes," the next question is why you decided in the first place to go with your provider?

Every provider bases their offers on a mixed calculation; thus, their first offer price is based on their purchasing conditions. If a customer deviates from this, it often becomes more expensive simply because rarely ordered equipment details require higher procurement costs. Plus the effort of obtaining them – which, of course, they also charge for – it leads to amounts like those you mentioned above. Always assuming the quality is the same as that installed by the specialist trade.

By the way, from my point of view, you cannot build a house with the knockout argument "that I can buy it on the internet for x€" because even a brick (regardless of which material) is cheaper according to the internet than from any house supplier!

I just don’t understand why we should pay a total surcharge of 7,700€ for a few things that we want differently.

I could make it easy for myself now and say that this itemization serves to steer the offer price "front" and back again into normal lanes. But that would be too superficial, which is why I described it at the beginning. Besides, you owe the answer as to what is behind the sum of 7.7k in relation to the standard.

Or has anyone dared to organize and have these things installed on their own? Thanks in advance for your tips!

You can have the sanitary objects written up well for you and then commission a plumber you trust. I just don’t believe this approach would be cheaper. Because you additionally need a drywall installer, a tiler, and maybe a plasterer. Your general contractor will surely refuse to rely on external services. At the end of the day, this will probably come to the same amount, if not even more expensive, because the plumber "doesn’t earn" on the objects provided by the builder and will therefore charge a different installation price.

The warranty is 2 years even with sanitary objects purchased by the builder – unless the manufacturer specifies a different period/guarantees. The plumber you commission is liable for proper installation and connection to the existing pipes.

Rhenish greetings

I understand that the bathtub and shower are not intended for self-installation. Here we have also stayed with the standard, so the additional costs come solely from here: fittings, sinks, toilets, flush plates, shower doors/partitions. I have had sinks, fittings, and toilets calculated identically... that is, the same series. Can't I just go to the installer and say "hey, can you get us these parts?"

Shower doors/partitions.

You can spend a small fortune just on that .....

Can't I just go to the installer and say "hey, can you get us these parts?"

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Then the question remains what should happen with your supplier's "markup"? You want to dispute it, but the previously commissioned plumber will surely have to include it; anything else would surprise me. So "wash my fur, but don't get me wet" doesn't work in this case either.

Rhenish greetings

you are right. All I can do is try. I just realized that I can't easily calculate the extra cost. Sure, we have exceeded the standard here and there. We knew that in advance. But things like all the accessories for installation he needs anyway. So my next step is to ask my GU what he has for a sum x for the entire sanitary equipment....right? P.s.: shower doors each 800€

But things like all the accessories for installation are needed anyway. So my next step is to ask my general contractor what amount x he has for all the sanitary equipment....right?

P.S.: shower doors each 800€

Yes, of course you need a lot of accessories for the sanitary installation, you can't even imagine, the stuff comes by the carton load.

Yes, that would be the right question. With installation and all materials. Also, never compare apples and oranges; if the general contractor uses branded materials and fittings, it costs more than DIY store goods.

Ordering from the general contractor usually doesn’t bring much, the real price is not charged. That wastes a lot of money and effort.

Even small overruns of the standard can cause very high costs in the bathroom area without providing visible benefits.

Friends of ours recently renovated their bathroom. With very high-quality materials, but if it costs over 30,000 euros, you can expect something. For that, I had two bathrooms built with basic standard and slightly above (specialist trade goods, not DIY store) in terms of materials and had the interior finishing of the house including floors and interior doors done.

Is it worse: No – it is still very nice, and visitors are regularly impressed, especially by the bathrooms we have.

800 for the shower enclosure is okay. If it is also properly installed, for example someone will easily spend about 3 hours on it, the labor costs have to be paid.

In general, in the sanitary sector, in my opinion, nothing beats a good craftsman who works neatly and meticulously.

Best regards
Thorsten

We used to have similar "problems".
However, it was a bit different with our general contractor. He wrote an amount X into the contract, which from his point of view would be enough to create our bathroom + shower bathroom including bathroom furniture.
I then also researched prices on the internet, added another 50% on top, and realized that we should be very well within the amount.
Afterwards, we went to the recommended bathroom outfitter. There we stated the amount as well as our wishes and were accompanied during the selection. Unfortunately, not a single price could be found on display. The end of the story: when the written offer arrived, it was about twice as high as specified. Our general contractor was almost shocked ("Did you order gold faucets?").
He then recommended that we go directly to our sanitary company, which still has its own sales/showroom. There we went through everything with the boss, searched for and found qualitatively equivalent alternatives, removed the shower door, and in the end came out at the general contractor's price + 1,000 euros (these were those insanely expensive toilets, which my wife was so taken with – they still had to be obtained through the bathroom outfitter).

Ask your general contractor about his sanitary company and whether it possibly still has its own sampling rooms.
By the way, it is apparently not uncommon that the general contractor also adds a margin with the outfitters (or that he gets a discount and you pay the fixed price). We experienced with the tiles that the tile center was very surprised and inquired multiple times with the general contractor because he passed on his discount to us.