Starting a new build: Why LPH 1 and 2 determine budget, approval and everyday practicality
Anyone building for the first time often thinks first of floor plans, façades and what the house will eventually look like. The real problems, however, usually arise earlier: when wishes grow faster than the groundwork. Before a new build can be beautiful, it first has to be permissible, affordable and sensibly organised. That is exactly what is decided in LPH 1 and 2, the first two of the service phases of the German fee scale for architects (HOAI), and it is exactly here that the typical false starts happen that later cost first-time clients dearly.
As an architecture practice in Wiesbaden, fbnSTUDIO guides clients from the first idea to completion. Experience shows that a good new build begins not with pictures but with clarity. And this clarity arises in service phases 1 and 2.
What happens in service phases 1 and 2 of a new build?
LPH 1 (basic evaluation) and LPH 2 (preliminary design) are often understood as a preliminary stage before the actual planning begins. For clients, they are in truth the phase in which an idea becomes a robust project. In the basic evaluation, it is examined what the plot offers, what building law permits, how large the house should really be and which cost framework is viable in the long term. In preliminary design, the first design options are developed on this basis and backed up with a cost estimate.
Together, these two phases form the foundation for everything that follows: design, approval, detailed design and construction. Errors in LPH 1 and 2 affect the entire project and can later be corrected only with considerable effort.
Why is the basic evaluation so important for first-time clients?
The basic evaluation is not only about the desired space programme. Above all, it is important to sort out the starting situation honestly: Which rooms are actually needed? Which standards are wanted? What are the priorities: floor area, building services, energy, design or long-term flexibility? That sounds obvious, but in practice it rarely is. Many first-time clients start with a wish list that goes far beyond the budget without realising it.
At the same time, it must be checked what is permissible on the plot at all. The development plan (local zoning plan) defines building height, roof form, site coverage ratio (GRZ) and floor area ratio (GFZ). In Wiesbaden and the Rhine-Main region, these requirements vary considerably depending on the district and location. A plot in Sonnenberg has different conditions from one in Nordenstadt or Erbenheim. Without this check, there is a risk of developing a design that cannot be approved under building law.
Which ancillary building costs are often underestimated in a new build?
First-time clients in particular often underestimate ancillary building costs in the basic evaluation. Not only the house itself but also surveying, the soil survey, the building permit, insurance, utility connections, external works and the design of the access path must be considered early. Ancillary building costs typically account for between 15 and 20 per cent of the total costs. For a new-build project of 500,000 euros, that is 75,000 to 100,000 euros on top of the price of the house itself.
Anyone who starts with a construction cost figure alone almost automatically plans too tightly. The consequences then show during the construction phase: savings in the wrong places, losses in quality or an unfinished outdoor area. A complete cost breakdown as early as LPH 1 protects against these problems.
Why is a soil survey indispensable before a new build?
The soil survey is one of the investigations that many clients regard as optional and then regret afterwards. It provides the basis for the foundations, the waterproofing and the moisture protection of the building, and with them for realistic budget planning. Without a soil survey, a considerable part of the cost risk remains with the client.
In the Rhine-Main region, ground conditions vary greatly depending on location: from load-bearing gravel and cohesive clays to made ground from previous uses. A soil survey typically costs between 1,000 and 3,000 euros and can prevent additional costs of five or six figures that would arise from unforeseen foundation measures.
What does preliminary design mean, and why are options so important?
In LPH 2 it becomes clear whether the requirements can become a viable house. Good preliminary design does not mean immediately drawing a favourite design. It means comparing options: Which solution is coherent in everyday life? Which is compact and economical? Which creates good daylighting, sensible routes, enough storage space and room for future development? And which building services strategy really suits the project: robust and simple, or elaborate and maintenance-intensive?
This is also exactly where the first cost estimate belongs. It is not a formal intermediate step but an early-warning system. If it already becomes apparent in preliminary design that the space programme, the energy ambitions or the technical equipment do not fit the budget, now is still the right moment to adjust, rather than after the design, when weeks of planning work have already been invested.
Which mistakes do first-time clients make most often in a new build?
In a first new build, decisions are often made in the wrong order. Design comes first, calculation second. Or the space programme grows gradually with every conversation. The most typical mistakes at a glance:
- Budget based only on the bare construction cost, without allowing for ancillary building costs, external works and reserves
- No soil survey before planning begins, which makes foundation costs uncontrollable
- The space programme gradually grows beyond the budget without anyone adjusting in good time
- Eligibility for funding and the energy standard are checked only at the end of the planning instead of at the start
- The building specification is not checked sufficiently, so the actual scope of services remains unclear
These mistakes are avoidable if the basic evaluation is carried out properly. An experienced architect asks exactly the questions that first-time clients are not yet aware of, and thereby creates the basis for realistic and sound planning.
When should funding and the energy standard be clarified for a new build?
The answer is clear: at the start, not at the end. Eligibility for funding, the energy standard and long-term running costs belong in the basic evaluation, because they have a considerable influence on the planning, the choice of materials and the total costs. KfW currently offers several funding programmes for climate-friendly new builds. For certain grants, an energy efficiency expert must be involved, and the funding application must be submitted before construction begins.
Anyone who clarifies these questions only in the design or even in detailed design may miss funding opportunities or have to rework the planning fundamentally. In both cases, avoidable costs and loss of time result.
What should clients look out for in the building specification?
One frequently underestimated point that already becomes relevant in LPH 1 and 2 is the building specification. Anyone building for the first time often looks closely at the total price but too little at the actual scope of services. What matters is which qualities have been agreed, which items are included in the price and where additional costs can arise.
Unclear building specifications almost always lead later to disputes, change orders and uncertainty. An architect who ensures clear descriptions of services as early as preliminary design protects the client from these conflicts. This applies in particular to the distinction between architect services and a developer project: anyone building with an architect generally has more influence over quality and execution details, but also has to make more decisions of their own.
Which insurance policies do clients need before construction begins?
The topic of insurance cover, too, is often considered too late. Clients bear responsibility and should insure themselves against typical risks before construction begins. Depending on the circumstances, this mainly includes building owner's liability insurance, fire insurance for the shell construction and construction works insurance. For consumer building contracts, a completion guarantee is also an important point that must be settled in the contract.
These topics belong in the basic evaluation because they influence the total costs and the contractual structure of the project. An architect who raises these points early ensures that the client is not confronted with unresolved risks only once on site.
New build in Wiesbaden: Particularities of the regional market
Anyone planning a new build in Wiesbaden and the Rhine-Main region faces a special market situation. Building plots in good locations are scarce and correspondingly expensive. The share of the total costs accounted for by the land is considerably higher than in rural regions, which further increases the importance of careful cost planning. At the same time, the building law requirements are specific in many Wiesbaden districts, from design bylaws and stipulations on the roofscape to conditions in the surroundings of protected ensembles.
fbnSTUDIO knows these local conditions from many years of experience and can already assess in the basic evaluation what possibilities a plot offers and where the limits lie. This saves time in the approval procedure and prevents plans that fail because of building law.
LPH 1 and 2: The most important step towards a successful new build
LPH 1 and 2 are not a preparatory side phase. They decide whether a new build can get off to a robust start at all. For clients building for the first time, this is not only about design and approval but also about ancillary building costs, ground conditions, eligibility for funding, contractual security and financial reserves. Anyone who clarifies these points early builds not only in a more orderly way but usually also more economically and with less stress.
Arrange an initial consultation with fbnSTUDIO. We will guide you through the basic evaluation and preliminary design of your new build in Wiesbaden and the Rhine-Main region, so that your project stands on a solid foundation from the start.
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