Rising timber construction quota: implications for carpenters and tradespeople
The building permit market in Germany is seeing an increase in the use of wood as the predominant building material in 2021. According to the latest figures in 21% of all building permits issued for residential and non-residential buildings, wood was used predominantly as a building material. This is a significant increase compared to 2020, when the timber construction rate for approved residential buildings exceeded the 20% mark for the first time. Let's take a closer look at this data and discuss what it means for carpenters, tradespeople and other professionals.
Non-residential buildings in timber construction.
In 2021, 6500 non-residential buildings with wood as the predominant building material were approved. This is a significant increase compared to 2020, when 5,400 non-residential buildings were approved according to the same criteria. The variety of orders allows for greater flexibility when acquiring orders, which reduces the market risks for carpenters and tradespeople working in this area.
Residential building in timber construction.
In 2021, 27,500 residential buildings with wood as the predominant building material were approved. This is an even greater increase than for non-residential building permits and a significant milestone, as 2020 was the first year in which the timber construction rate for approved residential buildings exceeded the 20% mark. This trend is expected to continue, as multi-storey residential construction is becoming increasingly common in all federal states thanks to updated building regulations.
