12228 Building quotations and the Opere Pubbliche

Hi everyone.

After 3 years, we've finally received planning permission for our project near Force, La Marche...yes, I did say 3 years!

Of course, we're keen to get on with the project, but have run into the same problem everyone faces....getting reliable builders at a fair price. We're now in possession of a number of quotations, but are still unsure if the prices quoted are reasonable. Our 'problem' is that our Geometra's preferred electricians' / plumbers' / builders' quotations are near, equal or in some cases far in excess of the rates quoted in the official Opere Pubbliche (Regione Marche).

My understanding of the rates in this official price list is that these are generally regarded as the maximum charges artisans should be making. Is my interpetation wrong? If I'm correct, I get the feeling we're being ripped off. If these are published' maximum' rates, what sort of discount should we be looking for?

A few examples:

Tile polishing quote of 22 euro per m2, published rate (06.05.002) of 8.48 euro.
Septic tank supply and fit quote 4000 euro, published rate (18.03.020) of 1,799.44 euro
Platering quote of 18.3 euro per m2, published rate (06.01.007.00) of 20.68 euro - I concede with is less than the published rate, but at 537.88 m2 to be plastered, I'd expect a 'volume' discount.

All comments / observations / follow up questions most welcome.

Pete

Category
Building/Renovation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/25/2009 - 05:09

I too would be very interested in any thoughts on Pete's question, I've been looking at the Opere Pubbliche for Le Marche as part of my research but if it turns out that the prices bear little relation to reality, I may have to think again!

Roger

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 14:33

[quote=P&D in Marche;117823]Hi everyone.

Septic tank supply and fit quote 4000 euro, published rate (18.03.020) of 1,799.44 euro

[/quote]

It's no consolation to you, but E4,500 was what we paid for a similar sized installation last year. We changed builders subsequently and although we got a much better deal on some prices for other structural work, other prices quoted were not dissimilar to our intial quotes. I'm sure someone 'in the trade' will be able to comment on the reliability of these published prices and how well they represent reality. [I'll be gutted if a reply says that the published prices are a pretty good guide tho'.]

As always, negotiation is the key, though I have wondered whether repairs in Abruzzo as a result of earthquake damage will impact builders' prices in S. Marche.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/30/2009 - 15:20

These 'prezzario's are notoriously difficult to interpet correctly. In the case of your septic tank installation, the voice 18.03.020 [U]does not include [/U]for any dipersion of the treated water beyond the first inspection chamber after the septic tank. So you have to add on any soakaway work, (or any pipework connecting to the mains drain) after the septic tank.

Similarly, the voice 6.05.002 basically only covers a domestic level polishing of glazed tiles. If you are using, perhaps, bricks then there is a lot of work to be done before they are 'finished' to a sufficient level to take this final polish.

The 'interpretation' comes in when the quoting contractor fills in his prices. If he knows that there is a large amount of excavation and underground perforated pipework, with the associated gravel and membranes etc etc, needed after the septic tank then he may add this onto 'the septic tank' price to make it comprehensible to the person commissioning the work. That is a good move by the contractor: a nasty contractor might simply enter 'the septic tank' price and charge you for the soakaway as an 'extra'.

This is one reason why it is very difficult to compare quotations based on computo metricos; although they are very precise schedules of work they are rarely completely perfectly written by the geometra - if they were, they would run to 100 pages rather than the usual 20 or so! There are a very few official prezzari which cover 'composite pricing', it would be very nice if there were more.

It might well be that the earthquake repair works in Abruzzo will make it more difficult to find a builder even in neighbouring regions.