The wall is not level on the base plate or protrudes by 2 cm

Good day dear fellow building owners,

we are currently working on the shell construction. The men on the lower floor have now set the walls on the base slab. Unfortunately, on one side of the house, these protrude about 2 cm beyond the base slab. That means the 20 cm thick bricks rest about 18 cm on the base slab or the waterproofing membrane, and 2 cm stick out. These 2 cm were filled with mortar.

This can be seen in the attached pictures. We were on site with the construction manager (PS: our architect, not a construction manager, not a general contractor, but individual contracting through our architect) and looked at the whole thing. He said this is likely within acceptable tolerance and would not have major effects anyway. The base slab is (as we assumed together on site) 2 cm too short, and the men probably set the walls according to the planned measurement.

Nevertheless, we wonder whether we should raise the issue again. Time is pressing, of course, as next week the formwork for the concrete ceiling that will go on the walls will be set up.

Another point: a small section on the affected side of the house was built with in-situ concrete. This sits precisely on the base slab, so this wall section is offset by 2 cm compared to the masonry parts on the same side of the house. The protrusion in alignment must therefore be corrected somehow at the latest during the external thermal insulation composite system (WDVS) and plastering (inside). They also said that this is not a big issue.

How do you assess the matter? Are we being too picky or is this a serious defect that must be completely rectified?

Thank you!

How do you assess the situation? Are we being too picky or is this a serious defect that needs to be completely fixed?

Thanks!

You are being too picky. This is within any tolerance, what could possibly happen? What do you hope to achieve by addressing it? Just accept it as it is. It will still be insulated and plastered, and your 2cm will be gone.

No panic, this is completely fine and not a defect. Masons are not tilers and work with different tolerances. There are no disadvantages for structural stability or thermal insulation and in the end you will see nothing.

Such misunderstandings often occur with clients who have no understanding of craftsmanship. Often with control fanatics like business economists, mechatronics engineers, or mechanical engineers. So those for whom every cent or micrometer counts. You just HAVE to breathe a lot more calmly and must not go into hyperventilation every time you transfer the standards from your own field to your construction project.

So take a loooong deep breath and simply trust the professional ([self-paid architect, who is basically liable]!).

I don't find the question here to be bad. If you have no idea, it's better to ask about such things sometimes; that's what these forums are for. It's not like it's a defect that ultimately causes bigger problems – and then you're asked why you didn't complain about it right away. Everything is fine.

Trust is very poor on construction sites. You are doing it right, examining and questioning everything critically. Better one construction stop too many than too few!