Due date: acceptance plus verifiable invoice
Under a VOB/B contract the final payment falls due after acceptance (Abnahme) and receipt of a verifiable final invoice: structured according to the contract, with measurements and evidence allowing the customer to check every item. The customer generally has 30 days for the review (up to 60 if agreed).
Acceptance has one more effect that is easy to overlook: from that moment the burden of proving defects shifts to the customer. Who must prove what before and after acceptance is explained in our article on the burden of proof for construction defects.
Typical traps
- the invoice is rejected as “not verifiable” — the customer gains time, you wait for money,
- missing measurements and records — disputed items fail for lack of proof,
- accepting a payment marked as final payment without reservation — can exclude further claims (declare a reservation!),
- forgetting variations in the final invoice — notify and invoice variation orders consistently.
How we secure your invoicing
We review the contractual invoicing mechanism before the final invoice, watch reservations on interim and final payments and litigate outstanding claims — including the § 650f BGB security explained on our construction law page.