Construction Industry in Germany

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Construction Industry in Germany

Construction Industry in Germany

If you plan to start your construction business in Germany, there are particular requirements and regulations that you must follow. In the article from Wise Business Group, we will outline the requirements, privileges, and licenses required for self-employment in the construction industry in Germany.

Read more at Wise Business Group: Self-Employment in Germany

Self-employment in the construction industry in Germany

For self-employment in the construction industry in Germany, you need to go through four official steps. You must meet specific requirements, especially technically. The most significant prerequisites for entering the construction industry in Germany are technical prerequisites.

Self-employment in construction industry in Germany
Self-employment in construction industry in Germany

If you want to start your own business in the construction industry in Germany, you must have learned your profession well and have several years of professional work experience. In addition to professional experience, there will be some bureaucratic obstacles on your way to self-employment that you will have to overcome. For example, we can mention the potential obstacles in the Chamber of Crafts in Germany.

See this post at Wise Business Group: Registering Small Businesses in Germany

Professional competence in the construction industry in Germany

The German Crafts Act stipulates some restrictions on the admission of skilled trades. Importantly, you should note that providing a master crafts certificate is required to start a business that requires a license in the field of Crafts and skilled trades in Germany. Shortly, we can say that many construction companies in Germany must provide a master crafts certificate to start their activities. For example, it applies to roofers, scaffolders, bricklayers, concrete workers, or carpenters who want to be self-employed in Germany.

Construction jobs that do not require the presence of a master craftsperson!

Construction jobs that do not require the presence of a master craftsperson!
Construction jobs that do not require the presence of a master craftsperson!

Among the self-employed people in the construction industry in Germany who should not enter into the register of craftsman, we can mention the constructors of dry walls, floor layers, tiling, garden landscapes, and acoustics. You do not need a master craftsperson’s presence if your field of activity includes the mentioned sectors. However, you should still register your business in Germany before starting commercial operations.

You can contact us for more information about business registration in Germany. Our consultants, benefiting from many years of expertise and experience in company registration in Germany, will help you to register your business with spending reasonable time and cost.

Tips on master craftsman’s certification for Construction trades in Germany

The presence of a master craftsperson will be necessary if you do other technical works as part of your proposed services in Germany as well as the construction of dry walls or acoustics and further construction works that do not require a license. Then, you must present the relevant craftsman card when registering your business in Germany. You can receive this card only if you have correctly entered your name in the register of crafts in Germany.

Master craftsman's certification for Construction trades in Germany
Master craftsman’s certification for Construction trades in Germany

You can establish a company in Germany that requires a license even without having a relevant master craftsman’s certificate. For this purpose, you have to assume the role of the CEO of that construction company. Then, you should hire a technical manager to perform the tasks of the master craftsman.

Read more at Wise Business Group: Self-Employment in Germany

Entry into the Register of Craftsmen in Germany

For self-employment in the construction industry, you must arrange to enter the crafts register in the Chamber of Crafts. Activities that require a master craftsman’s certificate can only be entered into the Register of Crafts in Germany if they have all the relevant prerequisites. In this regard, the following regulations apply:

Entry into the Register of Craftsmen in Germany
Entry into the Register of Craftsmen in Germany

• Master craftsman’s exam for self-employment in the construction industry in Germany

Only people who have successfully passed the master craftsman’s exam related to their desired business can receive the German crafts registration approval.

• Master craftsman’s exam in related fields in Germany

People can also apply and receive approval to enter the German crafts register in the connected course if they have successfully passed the master crafts exam for a construction trade in Germany. Various guidelines are involved in the related fields’ admission to the Register of Crafts in Germany. Action in this regard must have the approval of the Chamber of Crafts.

Master craftsman's exam in related fields in Germany
Master craftsman’s exam in related fields in Germany

• Diploma, technician, and master craftsman’s exams in Germany

Diplomas, technician degrees, and master craftsman’s degrees will also be recognized in Germany if they have a corresponding course of study or focus on a field that requires admission.

• The right to exercise in Germany

Paragraph 7a HwO stipulates that persons with the right to exercise may also enter the German crafts register. It requires that the individual has registered and can demonstrate specific knowledge and skills consistent with working in another Craft at the master craftsperson’s level. However, there are several exceptions that the German Chamber of Crafts should provide detailed explanations about.

Persons with the right to exercise may enter the German crafts register.
Persons with the right to exercise may enter the German crafts register.

• Equivalent exams in Germany

Equivalent exams are recognized for entry into the register of crafts in Germany if they fall within the scope of specific regulations. It applies, for example, to refugees and people who return to Germany for residence after a long period. Foreign applicants who have completed their master craftsman’s degree outside Germany and intend to start their business in Germany will have the chance to enter the registration of crafts. The only issue in this regard is proving the equivalence of their degrees. Therefore, degrees should always be evaluated case-by-case, as the examination conditions vary widely in different countries.

You can also read this article at Wise Business Group: The steps of a Business Set-up in Germany

Business registration in the construction industry in Germany

Registering a business in Germany is mandatory even for those crafts and skilled trades that do not require a license.

Business registration in the construction industry in Germany
Business registration in the construction industry in Germany

If you want to register a construction business in Germany that does not require a permit, you include your business on a business list that does not require a license. Business registration in Germany is officially mandatory but not complicated. After the official entry, you will receive a so-called craft card. Using the craft card, you can register your business at the business licensing office in Germany. The German Chamber of Crafts is responsible for you. Then, you will automatically become a member of it. However, the German Chamber of Crafts compulsory membership applies even if you register a business that requires a license.

How much does it cost to enter the crafts register in Germany?

Depending on the registration region, you can expect a cost between 50 and 250 euros. Since each chamber of crafts in Germany has a role in determining its fees, registration fees can vary.

This article may also be helpful for you: Company Formation in Germany


Self-employment in the construction industry in Germany

A person should meet particular requirements to start self-employment in the construction industry in Germany. They must have sufficient skills and several years of professional work experience and overcome bureaucratic hurdles.

Providing a master craftsman’s certificate is a must to start the operation of many construction companies in Germany. You will not need the presence of a master craftsperson only if obtaining a license is not necessary for your business. In any case, you must register your business before starting commercial operations.

One of the requirements for self-employment in the construction industry in Germany is to enter the registration of crafts. You must successfully pass the master crafts exam related to your business in Germany.

After the official registration of the business, you will automatically be a member of the relevant Chamber of Crafts in Germany.


Business registration in Germany

If you have any questions about setting up and registering a business in the construction industry in Germany, you can contact us via WhatsApp or email. Our advisors will respond to you as soon as possible. We will guide you through the tortuous path of starting a business in Germany.

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