Type E buildings are intended to save costsHubertz and Hubig wanted to build it “without any frills.”
“Simpler, faster and cheaper” – that’s the triad that Construction Minister Hubertz and Justice Minister Hubig want to speed up German housing construction. The representative agent must be “building type E”. It has proven itself in one state.
The federal government wants to lower construction standards. Construction Minister Verena Hubertz and Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig delivered the first key points in Berlin. “Buildings in Germany are too expensive,” Hubig said. It should be easier, faster, and therefore cheaper. To this end, a separate building type E – “E for simple” – including a model contract should be developed to better guarantee legal certainty in the market. “So far construction in Germany has almost always been based on the gold standard.” According to experts, this means many apartments are becoming too expensive for most residents.
If both parties agree, deviations from the highest standards will be possible. This applies for example to the number of sockets, underfloor heating, towel radiators, wall thickness and also windows. Basements, underground parking lots, parking lots or elevators can also be painted in the project. Deviations from standards are no longer considered defects. Without a contract for type E buildings, the usual standards will remain, which have been further expanded over the past decades.
The key points raised by the ministers will now be discussed in detail with states and business associations. The goal is to pass the bill in cabinet by the end of 2026, Hubig said. This must then be discussed and approved in parliament.
Hubertz says it’s about building “no frills,” but without sacrificing safety. The requirements are too high in Germany. Type E buildings must apply to both new and old buildings. In Hamburg, it is possible to save around 30 percent of construction costs with lower standards. Hubertz wants to halve construction costs in Germany. However, further steps were needed to achieve this, he said, such as more serial construction, amendments to building regulations and greater digitalization of the industry.
By 2025, there will likely be only 220,000 apartments
Real estate association GdW called for greater speed in politics. The legal regulations should be finalized in the first half of 2026. But its main points won praise. “This is a big step towards more affordable housing,” said GdW President Axel Gedaschko. What is important now is the uniform condition of the skeleton. This topic is likely to be raised at the conference of construction ministers in Würzburg.
Tim-Oliver Müller of the Main Association of the German Construction Industry said 220,000 new apartments this year would probably satisfy no one. It is positive that builders should be given freedom above the guaranteed level of protection. This means the course has been set up correctly.
The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) refers to its own analysis, stating that two years after federal and state resolutions on faster planning and approval procedures, there is still room for improvement. Just over half of the states have implemented procedural rules agreed upon in their respective building codes. “There is still a lot to do,” said DIHK expert Achim Dercks. No country has fully implemented all measures.
