{"id":5053,"date":"2026-07-12T18:47:46","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T16:47:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/knowledge-base\/contractor-termination-643-bgb\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T18:47:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T16:47:46","slug":"contractor-termination-643-bgb","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/contractor-termination-643-bgb\/","title":{"rendered":"Principal blocking the site? Contractor termination under \u00a7 643 BGB in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<div id=\"progress\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n<!-- EN version of wypowiedzenie-umowy-przez-wykonawce-643-bgb. Own text.\r\n     Sources verified 12.07.2026: \u00a7\u00a7 643, 645, 650h BGB verbatim at\r\n     gesetze-im-internet.de, \u00a7 9 and \u00a7 6(7) VOB\/B at dejure.org,\r\n     BGH 26.10.2017 - VII ZR 16\/17, BGH 20.4.2017 - VII ZR 194\/13,\r\n     BGH 21.10.1999 - VII ZR 185\/98 (BGHZ 143, 32). -->\r\n<header>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <a href=\"\/en\/\" class=\"brand\" aria-label=\"BWLAW\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"BWLAW \u2013 law firm in Germany\" width=\"42\" height=\"28\"><\/a>\r\n    <nav aria-label=\"Main navigation\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\" class=\"active\">Knowledge base<\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"\/en\/#zespol\">Team<\/a>\r\n    <\/nav>\r\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Contact a lawyer <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\r\n    <button class=\"burger\" aria-label=\"Menu\">\u2630<\/button>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/header>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"shero\" style=\"padding-bottom:3.5rem\">\r\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\" style=\"grid-template-columns:1fr\">\r\n    <div>\r\n      <nav class=\"crumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\"><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><span>\/<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><span>\/<\/span><b>Construction<\/b><\/nav>\r\n      <span class=\"eyebrow\">Construction<\/span>\r\n      <h1 style=\"max-width:30ch\">Principal blocking the site? Contractor termination under \u00a7 643 BGB in Germany<\/h1>\r\n      <p class=\"lead\">No approved drawings, no building permit, the preceding trade still occupying your work area \u2014 while your crews and equipment stand idle and burn money. German law grants the contractor compensation for such downtime, but it does not cover every loss. For the contractor who no longer wants to wait, the statute provides an emergency exit: termination of the contract under \u00a7 643 BGB. The procedure is short but highly formalised \u2014 and a mistake in the letter can cost more than the downtime itself.<\/p>\r\n      <div class=\"art-meta\">\r\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-artur-barczewski.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Artur Barczewski\" loading=\"lazy\">\r\n        <div><b>Dr. Artur Barczewski<\/b>Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\r\n        <div style=\"margin-left:1rem;border-left:1px solid rgba(255,255,255,.25);padding-left:1rem\">\u2248 9 min read<br>updated: July 2026<\/div>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<article class=\"sec\">\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Downtime caused by the principal: what \u00a7 642 BGB covers \u2014 and what it does not<\/h3>\r\n      <p>Where the principal omits an act necessary for the production of the works and thereby comes into default of acceptance (Annahmeverzug), the contractor is entitled to reasonable compensation under \u00a7 642 BGB. No fault on the principal&#8217;s side is required \u2014 it is enough that the obstacle comes from his sphere. The compensation covers the contractor&#8217;s readiness during the standstill: workers, plant and capital held available on a site that cannot move forward.<\/p>\r\n      <p>The Federal Court of Justice drew the limit of this claim in its judgment of 26 October 2017 (VII ZR 16\/17): <strong>costs that the standstill caused but that arise only after it has ended are not covered by \u00a7 642 BGB<\/strong>. That means above all higher wage and material costs when the postponed works are finally executed \u2014 in a market where prices rise every season, often the largest loss item. Lost profit is not compensated either. How to claim additional costs that were actually ordered as extra work is a different story \u2014 see our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/extra-work-nachtrag-german-construction\/\">extra work (Nachtrag) on German construction projects<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n      <p>A contractor unwilling to bear the uncompensated losses therefore has a second instrument: he can end the contract and free his capacity for other projects. That is exactly what \u00a7 643 BGB is for.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">When does the principal &#8220;fail to cooperate&#8221;? The catalogue is broad<\/h3>\r\n      <p>It is not only about duties expressly written into the contract. A so-called Obliegenheit is enough \u2014 an act the contractor cannot sue for, but whose omission is charged to the principal. What exactly falls to the principal follows from the interpretation of the contract and the circumstances of the project.<\/p>\r\n      <p>Typical examples from practice: handing over complete drawings approved for execution, providing the building permit, giving access to the site and a free work area, resolving design clashes, making material choices where the decision rests with the principal. Add to that the <strong>works of preceding trades<\/strong>: according to the Federal Court of Justice (judgment of 21 October 1999, VII ZR 185\/98), the timely and defect-free completion of preceding works is the principal&#8217;s affair. If another trade does not clear your work area, the standstill is charged to the principal \u2014 even without any fault of his own.<\/p>\r\n      <p>There are limits, though. Events outside the principal&#8217;s sphere justify neither compensation nor termination: the Federal Court of Justice ruled (judgment of 20 April 2017, VII ZR 194\/13) that <strong>extraordinary weather<\/strong> \u2014 frost, ice and snow on a scale that did not have to be reckoned with \u2014 is no failure to cooperate. Classic force majeure, such as third parties blocking the site access, is judged the same way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">First requirement: default of acceptance \u2014 offer your works visibly<\/h3>\r\n      <p>The omission alone is not enough \u2014 the principal must also come into default of acceptance (\u00a7\u00a7 293 et seq. BGB). That requires the contractor to offer his performance <strong>at the right time and in the right manner<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n      <p>If the start of the works is fixed by the calendar, the default can arise without further steps. Individual work stages, however, should be announced in advance: through an updated construction schedule, weekly look-aheads or entries in site meeting minutes. A premature offer triggers no default, and without a documented announcement the principal will easily plead ignorance. The manner of performance matters too: whoever offers something different from what was agreed \u2014 another method, other products \u2014 does not put the principal into default.<\/p>\r\n      <p>In practice this means one thing: <strong>report readiness in writing and archive the evidence<\/strong>. How to document the course of a project with a dispute in mind is shown in our article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/construction-defects-burden-of-proof-germany\/\">burden of proof on German construction sites<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">The \u00a7 643 BGB procedure step by step<\/h3>\r\n      <p><strong>Step 1: the notice comes only once default exists.<\/strong> A deadline for catching up on the omitted act can be set only when the principal is already in default of acceptance. A notice sent too early is ineffective and starts no period running \u2014 one of the most common reasons why \u00a7 643 BGB disputes are lost.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Step 2: name the act precisely.<\/strong> The letter must describe exactly what is demanded \u2014 not the goal (&#8220;remove the obstacles&#8221;) but the concrete act of the principal (&#8220;hand over the execution drawings for floors 1\u20133, approved for construction&#8221;). The principal must know immediately what to do and by when.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Step 3: an unambiguous termination warning.<\/strong> The deadline must be combined with the declaration that the contract is terminated if the act is not performed before the deadline expires. Soft wording \u2014 &#8220;we will consider termination&#8221;, &#8220;we reserve the right to terminate&#8221;, &#8220;we will decide after the deadline&#8221; \u2014 <strong>is not sufficient<\/strong>. The letter has a warning function: the fate of the contract must depend on nothing but the lapse of the deadline.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Step 4: written form.<\/strong> The termination of a construction contract requires written form (\u00a7 650h BGB). Since under \u00a7 643 BGB the effect is produced by the deadline letter and its fruitless expiry alone, it is this letter that should satisfy the written-form requirements: a handwritten signature of a person authorised to represent the company and a provable delivery. A plain e-mail or a message in the site communication app is not enough.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Step 5: expiry of the deadline ends the contract automatically.<\/strong> If the principal does not catch up in time, the contract is deemed cancelled by \u00a7 643 sentence 2 BGB itself \u2014 no second letter is needed. It is sufficient that the act was made up only in part or that one of several demanded acts is still missing.<\/p>\r\n      <p>The procedure is flexible: before the deadline expires the contractor may extend it and may even withdraw the notice altogether \u2014 for instance when the principal has entered into constructive talks. After a withdrawal nothing prevents setting a new deadline later. And where the principal seriously and finally refuses to cooperate, or the act has become impossible, setting a deadline may be dispensable entirely.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">How long is an &#8220;appropriate&#8221; deadline? Shorter than you think<\/h3>\r\n      <p>The reference point is <strong>catching up on the omitted act, not the whole process of preparing it<\/strong>. What counts is the last step: handing over the complete drawings, not designing them. Handing over the permit already obtained, not running the permit procedure. Giving access to the prepared site, not servicing it. The principal should have taken those steps long ago \u2014 only what should already have happened can be &#8220;caught up on&#8221;.<\/p>\r\n      <p>A principal in default has no right to &#8220;extra time&#8221;. An appropriate deadline can therefore be short \u2014 <strong>a few working days are often enough<\/strong>. And if the contractor sets a deadline that is too short, the notice does not fail: an appropriate deadline takes its place. Safe practice is a realistic deadline with a calendar date and a documented calculation behind it.<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"hl rv\" style=\"max-width:760px\">\r\n      <span class=\"eyebrow\">Checklist<\/span>\r\n      <h3>A \u00a7 643 BGB letter that holds up<\/h3>\r\n      <p>Default of acceptance documented: written notice of readiness, schedule, look-aheads, meeting minutes. A precise description of the act the principal has to catch up on. A realistic though short deadline with a calendar date. An unambiguous declaration that the contract is terminated if the deadline passes fruitlessly. A handwritten signature of an authorised person and delivery with proof. The financial consequences calculated before the letter goes out, not after.<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"font-size:1.02rem\">\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Consequences: what the contractor receives \u2014 and what he does not<\/h3>\r\n      <p>With the fruitless expiry of the deadline the contract ends for the future. The contractor no longer has to complete the works and receives, for what was built until that moment, <strong>a part of the remuneration corresponding to the work performed<\/strong> (\u00a7 645(1) BGB, which its second sentence extends to the cancellation under \u00a7 643 BGB). On top of that comes <strong>reimbursement of expenses not included in that remuneration<\/strong>: material procured for the project, site setup and overhead costs the executed works have not yet &#8220;earned back&#8221;, and liabilities entered into towards subcontractors for this very project.<\/p>\r\n      <p>Independently of that, the claims from the standstill period remain: compensation under \u00a7 642 BGB and reimbursement of increased expenses under \u00a7 304 BGB, for example storage costs. The sum of these items, however, usually amounts to <strong>cost coverage, not profit<\/strong> \u2014 the profit from works the contractor will no longer execute is not covered by \u00a7 645 BGB. Damages reaching the full contract interest come into play only where the principal is guilty of a culpable breach of duty \u2014 and in the system of \u00a7\u00a7 642, 643 BGB, which require no fault, that is the exception, not the rule.<\/p>\r\n      <p>The decision to terminate is therefore a business decision: cut the growing losses and free workers and equipment for contracts that earn money. Both scenarios should be calculated before the letter goes out. How to build the final account of a terminated contract is described in our article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/compensation-terminated-construction-contract-germany\/\">settlement after a construction contract is terminated<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">VOB\/B contracts: \u00a7 9 VOB\/B instead of \u00a7 643 BGB<\/h3>\r\n      <p>Where the VOB\/B conditions are incorporated into the contract, the contractor&#8217;s right of termination is governed by \u00a7 9 VOB\/B, which displaces the statutory route. There are two grounds: the principal omits an act incumbent on him and thereby <strong>puts the contractor in a position where he cannot execute the works<\/strong> (paragraph 1 no. 1), or the principal fails to make a payment that is due and comes into payment default (paragraph 1 no. 2).<\/p>\r\n      <p>The mechanics differ from \u00a7 643 BGB: the contractor must first <strong>announce the termination and set an appropriate deadline<\/strong>, and after its fruitless expiry <strong>declare the termination separately in writing<\/strong> (paragraph 2). Two letters instead of one \u2014 the contract does not fall automatically here. The settlement: executed works at contract prices plus reasonable compensation under \u00a7 642 BGB (paragraph 3). In addition, \u00a7 6(7) VOB\/B gives each party the right to terminate in writing where an interruption of the works lasts longer than three months.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">The risk: a defective termination can backfire<\/h3>\r\n      <p>Whoever &#8220;terminates&#8221; without meeting the requirements \u2014 before default of acceptance exists, without a termination warning in the notice, in the wrong form \u2014 does not end the contract. Worse: abandoning the site without justification can be a serious breach of contract that <strong>opens the principal&#8217;s path to a termination for good cause<\/strong> and to claims for the costs of completion by a third company. We describe that scenario in our article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/termination-construction-contract-germany\/\">termination of a construction contract for good cause (\u00a7 648a BGB)<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n      <p>A \u00a7 643 BGB letter should therefore be reviewed by a lawyer before it is sent \u2014 together with the calculation of whether exiting the contract pays off at all and whether the documentation of the default will survive a dispute.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.35rem;margin-top:2.2rem\">Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\r\n      <p><strong>The principal does not pay my interim invoices. Can I terminate under \u00a7 643 BGB?<\/strong><br>\u00a7 643 BGB concerns the failure to cooperate in the production of the works, not payment arrears. For non-payment there are other routes: under a VOB\/B contract the termination under \u00a7 9(1) no. 2, under a BGB contract above all the demand for payment security under \u00a7 650f BGB, whose refusal also allows the contract to be ended. The choice of the legal basis is worth discussing, because the settlement consequences differ.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>How long a deadline do I have to give the principal?<\/strong><br>Appropriate for catching up on the act itself, measured from its last step \u2014 handing over the drawings, the permit or the work area. A principal in default has no right to extra time, so a few working days are often enough. A deadline that is too short does no harm: an appropriate one takes its place.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Can I send the notice with the termination warning by e-mail?<\/strong><br>Not for a construction contract. Termination requires the written form of \u00a7 650h BGB, and under \u00a7 643 BGB the deadline letter takes over the role of the termination. The safe way: a printed letter with the handwritten signature of an authorised person, delivered in a provable manner.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>The principal caught up on the act only in part. What now?<\/strong><br>If the act was not fully made up within the deadline, the contract is in principle deemed cancelled \u2014 it suffices that one of several demanded acts is still missing. The exception are marginal gaps, where invoking the cancellation could amount to an abuse of law. Assess the weight of the gaps before you demobilise.<\/p>\r\n      <p><strong>Will I receive the profit on the works I will no longer execute after a \u00a7 643 BGB termination?<\/strong><br>No. The settlement covers the remuneration for executed works and the reimbursement of expenses already incurred, including subcontractor liabilities. Profit on the unexecuted part comes into play only where the principal culpably breached his duties. It is different where the principal terminates freely without cause \u2014 see our article on termination and settlement.<\/p>\r\n\r\n      <p style=\"font-size:.85rem;color:var(--ink-soft)\">This overview takes into account \u00a7\u00a7 293 et seq., 304, 642, 643, 645 and 650h BGB, \u00a7 6(7) and \u00a7 9 VOB\/B as well as the judgments of the Federal Court of Justice of 26 October 2017 (VII ZR 16\/17), of 20 April 2017 (VII ZR 194\/13) and of 21 October 1999 (VII ZR 185\/98). This article is for information purposes and does not replace legal advice in an individual case.<\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div class=\"mini-cta rv\"><b>The principal is blocking the site while your crews and machines stand idle?<\/b><span style=\"color:var(--ink-soft);font-size:.92rem\">Send us the contract, the schedule and the correspondence \u2014 we will assess whether the standstill justifies compensation under \u00a7 642 BGB and whether a termination under \u00a7 643 BGB is worth pursuing. In English, German and Polish.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Describe your case <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"prose rv\" style=\"margin-top:1.5rem\">\r\n      <h3 style=\"font-size:1.1rem\">Related topics<\/h3>\r\n      <div class=\"chips\" style=\"margin-top:.8rem\">\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/termination-construction-contract-germany\/\">Termination of a construction contract \u2014 \u00a7 648a BGB \u2192<\/a>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/extra-work-nachtrag-german-construction\/\">Extra work (Nachtrag) \u2014 pricing and payment \u2192<\/a>\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/construction-defects-burden-of-proof-germany\/\">Construction defects \u2014 burden of proof \u2192<\/a>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/article>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"sec alt\">\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"lawyer rv\">\r\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/dr-artur-barczewski.webp\" alt=\"Dr. Artur Barczewski \u2013 author\" loading=\"lazy\">\r\n      <div>\r\n        <b>Dr. Artur Barczewski<\/b>\r\n        <div class=\"role\">Rechtsanwalt \u00b7 attorney-at-law<\/div>\r\n        <p>Author of this article. Handles construction disputes for foreign companies across Germany. <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/artur-barczewski\/\">View profile \u2192<\/a><\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<section class=\"cta-end\">\r\n  <div class=\"glow\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <span class=\"eyebrow rv\">Contact<\/span>\r\n    <h2 class=\"rv d1\">Does your situation look similar?<\/h2>\r\n    <p class=\"rv d2\">Every case has details that change the outcome. Describe yours \u2014 you will receive a concrete answer and a fee estimate.<\/p>\r\n    <div class=\"row rv d3\">\r\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"btn\">Describe your case <span class=\"arr\">\u2192<\/span><\/a>\r\n      <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"phone\">\u260e +49 335 553 10969<\/a>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\r\n\r\n<footer>\r\n  <div class=\"wrap\">\r\n    <div class=\"foot-grid\">\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-brand\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/themes\/bwlaw-child-1\/assets\/img\/logo-bw.png\" alt=\"Logo BWLAW\" width=\"38\" height=\"26\"><\/div>\r\n        <p>Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<br>Rudolf-Breitscheid-Stra\u00dfe 10<br>15230 Frankfurt (Oder), Germany<br><a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\">+49 335 553 10969<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"mailto:info@bwlaw.de\">info@bwlaw.de<\/a><\/p>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Practice areas<\/div>\r\n        <ul>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/\">Construction law and VOB\/B<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/employment-law\/\">Employment law<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/debt-collection\/\">Debt collection in Germany<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/company-formation\/\">Corporate law and company formation<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n      <div>\r\n        <div class=\"foot-h\">Information<\/div>\r\n        <ul>\r\n          <li><a href=\"\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/impressum\/\">Imprint<\/a><\/li>\r\n          <li><a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy policy<\/a><\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n      <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"foot-bottom\">\r\n      <span>\u00a9 2026 BWLAW \u00b7 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski &amp; Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR<\/span>\r\n      <span>Rechtsanw\u00e4lte \u00b7 attorneys \u00b7 Frankfurt (Oder)<\/span>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/footer>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"sticky-cta\">\r\n  <a href=\"tel:+4933555310969\" class=\"call\">\u260e Call us<\/a>\r\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/practice-areas\/construction-law\/#kontakt\" class=\"book\">Describe your case<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\r\n{\r\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\r\n  \"@graph\": [\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"Article\",\r\n      \"headline\": \"Principal blocking the site? Contractor termination under \u00a7 643 BGB in Germany\",\r\n      \"description\": \"How a contractor terminates a German construction contract under \u00a7 643 BGB: default of acceptance, deadline notice with termination warning, written form under \u00a7 650h BGB and settlement under \u00a7 645 BGB.\",\r\n      \"inLanguage\": \"en\",\r\n      \"author\": { \"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Dr. Artur Barczewski\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/team\/artur-barczewski\/\" },\r\n      \"publisher\": { \"@type\": \"LegalService\", \"name\": \"BWLAW \u2013 Kanzlei Dr. Barczewski & Dr. Wr\u00f3blewska GbR\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/\" },\r\n      \"datePublished\": \"2026-07-12\",\r\n      \"dateModified\": \"2026-07-12\",\r\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/bwlaw.de\/en\/knowledge-base\/contractor-termination-643-bgb\/\"\r\n    },\r\n    {\r\n      \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\r\n      \"mainEntity\": [\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"The principal does not pay my interim invoices. Can I terminate under \u00a7 643 BGB?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"\u00a7 643 BGB concerns the failure to cooperate in the production of the works, not payment arrears. For non-payment there are other routes: under a VOB\/B contract the termination under \u00a7 9(1) no. 2, under a BGB contract the demand for payment security under \u00a7 650f BGB, whose refusal also allows the contract to be ended.\" }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"How long a deadline do I have to give the principal?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Appropriate for catching up on the act itself, measured from its last step \u2014 handing over the drawings, the permit or the work area. A principal in default has no right to extra time, so a few working days are often enough. A deadline that is too short does no harm, an appropriate one takes its place.\" }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Can I send the notice with the termination warning by e-mail?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Not for a construction contract. Termination requires the written form of \u00a7 650h BGB, and under \u00a7 643 BGB the deadline letter takes over the role of the termination. The safe way is a printed letter with the handwritten signature of an authorised person, delivered in a provable manner.\" }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"The principal caught up on the act only in part. What now?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"If the act was not fully made up within the deadline, the contract is in principle deemed cancelled \u2014 it suffices that one of several demanded acts is still missing. The exception are marginal gaps, where invoking the cancellation could amount to an abuse of law.\" }\r\n        },\r\n        {\r\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\r\n          \"name\": \"Will I receive the profit on the works I will no longer execute?\",\r\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. The settlement covers the remuneration for executed works and the reimbursement of expenses already incurred, including subcontractor liabilities. Profit on the unexecuted part comes into play only where the principal culpably breached his duties.\" }\r\n        }\r\n      ]\r\n    }\r\n  ]\r\n}\r\n<\/script>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction law Debt collection Corporate law Employment law Knowledge base Team Contact a lawyer \u2192 \u2630 Home\/Knowledge base\/Construction Construction Principal blocking the site? Contractor termination under \u00a7 643 BGB in Germany No approved drawings, no building permit, the preceding trade still occupying your work area \u2014 while your crews and equipment stand idle and burn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4417,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-bwlaw-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":"","rank_math_title":"Contractor termination \u2014 \u00a7 643 BGB in Germany | BWLAW","rank_math_description":"No plans, no permit, no site access? 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