When is the handover from architect to general contractor (after which phase of service)?

Hello everyone,

we are currently planning our house together with an architect. However, we do not want to later go into awarding individual trades with the architect, but rather build turnkey as much as possible with a general contractor (GU). We decided to plan with the architect beforehand because the planning quality of the GUs generally seemed too low and superficial to us. Now we are wondering when the right time is to hand over the further execution to a GU.

After service phase 3 (draft planning)?
After service phase 4 ([Genehmigungssplanung])?
After service phase 5 (execution planning)?

We will not give all trades to the GU, but will do some interior work ourselves or assign it to long-known craftsmen.

Thank you very much for your advice and tips!
ufr

I wonder if this was the wrong way! Not every general contractor builds according to external specifications and then has to collaborate with the external architect. Did your architect not recommend a general contractor he knows and works with?

Usual procedure.
Service phases 1-4

We decided to plan in advance with an architect because the planning quality of the GCs generally seemed too low and superficial to us. Now we are wondering when the right time is to hand over the further execution to a GC. After service phase 3 (preliminary design)? After service phase 4 (approval planning)? After service phase 5 (execution planning)?

This does not sound to me as if having the execution planning done by the GC would mean that anyone would actually read it. I would keep the construction supervision with the architect.

Why a general contractor? If you are taking out several trades anyway? The general contractor will not credit you fully for these trades again. Besides, if you have the structural calculations done beforehand, the general contractor cannot later demand any excessively high surcharges just because your ceiling is 2cm thicker than assumed by the architect.

The general contractor is of course only commissioned for the trades he is also supposed to carry out in such a construct. Nothing is taken out or simply assumed.