Finding a Craftsman in Frankfurt: Order Books Cover 8.5 Weeks, So Search the Chamber's Directory and Get the Date in Writing

The Real Waiting Time Is Measured

Everyone in Frankfurt has a story about the plumber who comes in three weeks. The Handwerkskammer Frankfurt-Rhein-Main puts numbers on it. In its business survey for the second quarter of 2026, conducted in June, the order backlog (Auftragsreichweite) averaged 8.5 weeks. The quarter before it was 8.6 weeks, and a year earlier 8.3 weeks. That figure says how long the work already booked would keep a firm busy. It is not a quote for your job, but it tells you that firms are not sitting idle.

The Chamber counts plumbers, heating installers, electricians, painters, tile layers, joiners, glaziers and upholsterers in the finishing trades, the group a household needs most often. The survey also finds that demand is softening and that new orders fell for about a third of firms. So the conclusion is not “nobody has time”. It is that the busiest trades are booked ahead, while others have gaps. Ask several.

Where to Search

• The Chamber’s directory. The Handwerkersuche lists member businesses and branches, and Handwerk Hessen confirms that each Hessian chamber keeps such a database. The Chamber’s own disclaimer says that the data comes from the businesses and that it gives no guarantee of completeness.
• People you know. The Verbraucherzentrale calls recommendations the best source, and asks you to check for an Innungsbetrieb or Meisterbetrieb and for references.
• A warning: do not hire firms whose names begin with AAA only because they are listed first. The Verbraucherzentrale calls most of them unreliable.
• The Chamber’s hotline, +49 69 97172 818, Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 16:00 and Friday 8:00 to 13:00, according to its homepage, for questions about a trade or a member business.

Ask Clearly, Compare Properly

Write down what you need, with measurements, materials and the date you want, and send the same description to two or three firms. The Verbraucherzentrale adds practical points:

• A Kostenvoranschlag should list services and materials in detail, so that hourly rates and material prices can be compared.
• A firm may charge for a quote only if it said so in advance.
• Check whether everything you need is included, such as preparatory work or scaffolding.
• A Kostenvoranschlag is not binding. If the cost rises by more than 15 to 20 percent, the firm must tell you immediately, and you can terminate, paying for the part already done. A fixed price cannot be exceeded.
• Extra work agreed on site is a change of the order and costs extra.

Fix the Date

Waiting is easier when the date is written down. Agree on scope, execution date and price in writing, and record any agreement made on site in writing as well. If the firm misses a binding date, it is in delay, and the Verbraucherzentrale advises setting a deadline of one to two weeks in writing. You can claim damages if the delay is the firm’s fault, but not when serious illness or work by another trade holds things up. For jobs where timing matters, such as a bathroom you cannot use, ask for a contractual penalty in the agreement.

After the Work: Acceptance, Defects, Invoice

1. Inspect before the Abnahme. Acceptance means you approve the work as essentially in line with the contract.
2. Reserve your rights. If you list defects in the protocol, add the sentence that your warranty claims remain reserved.
3. Hold back money. At least twice the expected repair cost may be withheld from the invoice until the defect is fixed.
4. Set a deadline in writing of one to two weeks, with photos. If the firm fails, you can have another firm fix it at the first firm’s cost.
5. Know the periods. Two years for repairs and new items, five years for building work, counted from acceptance.
6. Check the invoice against the offer. It must be verifiable. If it is not, ask for a verifiable final invoice.

If a dispute turns into a claim, see our guides to what to do when a Mahnbescheid arrives and whether legal expenses insurance is worth it.

Tax Relief on Labour Costs

§ 35a EStG reduces your income tax, on request, by 20 percent of the costs of renovation, maintenance and modernisation work, with a ceiling of 1,200 EUR. It covers labour costs only, and you need an invoice and a payment to the firm’s bank account. Cash payments do not qualify. It is excluded for work funded by subsidised loans or tax-free grants. If you rent, check your service-charge statement for such items as well. For renovations ordered by a landlord, see our page on rent increases after modernisation.

Step by Step

1. Ask early. Planned jobs go on a list weeks ahead.
2. Search the Chamber’s Handwerkersuche and ask neighbours for names.
3. Send the same written description to two or three firms.
4. Compare the quotes line by line, and check for missing items.
5. Agree on scope, date and price in writing, with a deadline and, if useful, a penalty.
6. Inspect, reserve your rights, pay by transfer and keep invoice and proof for the tax return.

Compliance Note

This guide summarises the Handwerkskammer Frankfurt-Rhein-Main’s survey and directory, the Verbraucherzentrale’s advice, and § 35a EStG as read in October 2026. Backlog figures change every quarter, and your own contract and the facts of your case decide your rights. This is not legal or tax advice. Confirm the details with the Chamber, a consumer advice centre or a tax adviser.