Amid rising construction costs and increasing strains on the housing market, the National Standards Control Board (NKR) is advocating for simplified building standards and specific reductions to existing DIN-standardized procedures. This call came via a position paper released by the independent advisory body under the Federal Government, as reported by the “Handelsblatt”.
The NKR’s document argues that reducing costs can be achieved by moving away from the current, exceedingly high technical demands placed on residential buildings. Lutz Goebel, the President of the NKR, stated to the “Handelsblatt” that choosing simple and affordable building methods in Germany often requires “more courage” than selecting the absolute highest standard-a situation he deemed a systemic flaw. He urged that all requirements be critically examined: distinguishing clearly between what is truly necessary for safety and health, and what merely constitutes unnecessary overhead. Goebel concluded that where in doubt, standards should either be lowered or eliminated entirely.
In practical terms, the NKR proposes implementing a choice structure allowing property owners and construction companies to select among basic, medium, or advanced levels of building quality. To facilitate this, relevant DIN norms must be tiered. The “simple execution standard” would become the recognized “basic equipment,” permitting deviations only if they are agreed upon as upward improvements.
The NKR intends to provide expert advice to the Federal Government during the early stages of drafting the new Building Type E Law. In December, Federal Ministers Verena Hubertz and Stefanie Hubig (both from the SPD) presented initial guidelines for this type of building. This new contract format would enable parties involved in a construction project to legally agree to waive standards that are not strictly essential. Furthermore, the Ministry of Justice has informed the “Handelsblatt” that it plans to publish an expert draft opinion within the coming months.
