Wegweiser Tradespeople · Law and business in the skilled trades Deutsch

🤝 Advice and contact points

Where tradespeople can get advice: chamber of crafts, guild, district craftsmen's association, accident insurance, pension insurance, tax office, legal advice.

chamber of crafts Innung (guild) Kreishandwerkerschaft advice BG BAU pension insurance legal advice

In brief

You do not have to sort everything out alone. These bodies can help.

  • Chamber of crafts (Handwerkskammer): Your business is a member. There you get advice on start-up, law, business management and training.
  • Guild (Innung) and district craftsmen's association (Kreishandwerkerschaft): They represent your trade locally and often advise on collective agreement and contract questions.
  • Accident insurance provider (e.g. BG BAU): occupational safety and accident prevention.
  • Deutsche Rentenversicherung: pension, exemption, status determination.
  • Tax office and tax adviser: taxes.
  • Lawyers: for disputes about money or defects.

Look up the contact details for your district on the websites of each body. This page gives no addresses or telephone numbers.

Step by step

  1. Chamber firstThe chamber of crafts for your district is usually the first port of call.
  2. Ask the guildFor trade-specific questions and collective agreements.
  3. Use specialist bodiesAccident insurance, pension insurance, tax office for specialist questions.
  4. In a dispute: legal adviceHave a lawyer check before a payment order, termination or lawsuit.

Deadlines

Membership
Owners of trade businesses and their journeymen, employees with vocational training and apprentices are members of the chamber of crafts.§ 90 Abs. 2 HwO
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Chambers of crafts are public-law corporations (§ 90 HwO). Their advice is information, not legal representation.
  • Guilds and district craftsmen's associations are only named here; their legal bases and services were not checked against the primary source.
  • There is no guarantee of success for your case. This platform does not replace advice.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Chambers of crafts

Under § 90 HwO, chambers of crafts are public-law corporations that represent the interests of the trades. Members are owners of businesses in trades subject to licensing, trades not subject to licensing and craft-like trades in the district, as well as their journeymen, other employees with vocational training and apprentices. The chambers are established by the Länder and generally cover particular administrative districts.

Other bodies

The Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (ZDH, German Confederation of Skilled Crafts) is the umbrella organisation; it does not advise businesses in individual cases. Guilds and district craftsmen's associations are local trade organisations. The accident insurance provider is responsible for occupational safety, the Deutsche Rentenversicherung for pensions, the tax office for taxes, and the Zoll for inspections of undeclared work.

Legal advice

Legal advice in individual cases may be given by lawyers. This platform is general information and not legal advice within the meaning of the Rechtsdienstleistungsgesetz (Legal Services Act).

Gap

Specific contact details, free advice services of individual chambers and start-up funding programmes were deliberately not included because they are not documented here.

Who is responsible
  • Chamber of crafts at the business's registered seat
  • Local guild (Innung) or district craftsmen's association (Kreishandwerkerschaft)
  • Responsible accident insurance provider and Deutsche Rentenversicherung
  • Lawyers and tax advisers
Further reading
Overview of trade lawMaster craftsman requirement, trade register and trades not subject to licensing

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Advice and contact points“?
Where tradespeople can get advice: chamber of crafts, guild, district craftsmen's association, accident insurance, pension insurance, tax office, legal advice.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
Membership: Owners of trade businesses and their journeymen, employees with vocational training and apprentices are members of the chamber of crafts. (§ 90 Abs. 2 HwO)
What should I do first?
  • Chamber first: The chamber of crafts for your district is usually the first port of call.
  • Ask the guild: For trade-specific questions and collective agreements.
  • Use specialist bodies: Accident insurance, pension insurance, tax office for specialist questions.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Chambers of crafts are public-law corporations (§ 90 HwO). Their advice is information, not legal representation.
  • Guilds and district craftsmen's associations are only named here; their legal bases and services were not checked against the primary source.
  • There is no guarantee of success for your case. This platform does not replace advice.
Evidence
  • § 90 HwO, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • § 1 HwO, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
  • § 192 SGB VII, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved 20 September 2026
As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.