Key points at a glance
- Tischler (joiner) is no. 27 of Annex A to the Handwerksordnung. Schreiner is simply the southern German term. Without an entry in the Handwerksrolle (register of crafts): no furniture, no interior fit-out, no windows.
- Besides the master title, equivalent qualifications (§ 7 (2) HwO, e.g. state-certified wood technology technician), the Altgesellenregelung (experienced journeyman rule, § 7b HwO) and the Ausnahmebewilligung (exceptional permit, § 8 HwO) lead into the Handwerksrolle.
- If you only install standardised windows, doors and frames, you can do so as a craft-like trade without a master (Annex B section 2 no. 24).
- The responsible insurer is the BGHM. Wood dust is covered by TRGS 553, with an occupational exposure limit of 2 mg/m³ for hardwood.
- If you make windows or external doors, you need a declaration of performance and CE marking under EN 14351-1.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change: check the details with your economic chamber or chamber of crafts, your trade guild or your tax adviser.
Schreiner or Tischler: one craft, one master requirement
The Handwerksordnung only knows the "Tischler" (Annex A no. 27). Whether you call yourself a Schreinerei, Tischlerei or furniture workshop doesn't change the fact that you must be in the Handwerksrolle before your first job. For joiners there are more routes to get there than in many building trades, because the industry trains many technicians and graduates:
- Master craftsman exam: the classic route. Master schools run full time (about one year) and part time. Aufstiegs-BAföG (career advancement grant) covers part of the course and exam costs as a grant.
- Technician or engineer: § 7 (2) HwO allows graduates of technical universities and state technical schools for technology or design to be registered if their focus matches the joinery craft. The Handwerkskammer (chamber of crafts) decides whether your qualification is enough.
- Altgesellenregelung: journeyman's exam plus six years in the craft, four of them in a senior position, for example as workshop manager or installation manager (§ 7b HwO).
- Ausnahmebewilligung: if the master exam would be unreasonable and you prove your knowledge in another way (§ 8 HwO). It can be restricted to certain areas.
- Technical manager: you found the business, and an employed person with a master title runs it technically.
The workshop: building law, neighbours, power
In Germany there is no separate trade-law facility permit for small joineries. What matters is building law: is the hall approved for a craft business with machines, and does the zoning fit? In commercial and mixed-use areas a joinery is usually permitted; in general residential areas only if it causes no disturbance. If the use changes, for example from storage to workshop, you often need a change-of-use permit from the building authority.
Before you sign the lease
- Ask the building authority: approved use and zoning
- Check the three-phase power supply and capacity for machines and extraction
- Plan space for extraction, a shavings silo or container
- Check access for panel deliveries and the company van
- Noise: distance to housing, operating hours, sound insulation
- Fire safety: spraying and storage areas, escape routes
BGHM, wood dust and noise
The Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall (BGHM) is the statutory accident insurer for joineries. Register your business within one week of opening (§ 192 SGB VII). The BGHM also advises on machines, extraction and risk assessment.
Wood dust is covered by TRGS 553 (Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances). Hardwood dust, for example from oak and beech, is carcinogenic; the occupational exposure limit is 2 mg/m³ in the inhalable fraction. The TRGS describes how to comply in practice: extraction on every dust-producing machine, tested dust extractors for hand-held machines, cleaning with a vacuum instead of a broom or compressed air. For noise, the Lärm- und Vibrations-Arbeitsschutzverordnung (Noise and Vibration Ordinance) applies: from 80 dB(A) you provide hearing protection, from 85 dB(A) it must be worn.
Machines: what you need for the start
| Machine | New | Used |
|---|---|---|
| Panel saw | €15,000 to €40,000 | from about €5,000 |
| Edgebander | €15,000 to €60,000 | from about €6,000 |
| Planer and thicknesser | €5,000 to €15,000 | from about €2,000 |
| Extraction system with filter | €8,000 to €25,000 | rarely sensible |
| Hand-held machines, dust extractors, small tools | €8,000 to €15,000 | partly |
| CNC machining centre | about €100,000 to €300,000 | from about €40,000 |
Used machines are a good option if they meet today's safety standards. Check guards, extraction ports and emergency stop before you buy. A CNC only pays off once you produce carcasses in larger numbers; many businesses buy cutting and edging from the panel dealer at first.
Windows and doors: declaration of performance and CE
Windows and external doors are construction products with a harmonised product standard, EN 14351-1. If you manufacture and place them on the market, you must issue a declaration of performance and mark the product with CE. This includes initial type testing of performance characteristics, such as thermal transmittance and driving rain tightness, and factory production control. Small joineries don't have to have the tests carried out themselves: if you work with a profile or system supplier, you can adopt its test results under certain conditions. Responsibility for the declaration of performance stays with you, though. Internal doors are not covered by this obligation.
Total costs and financing
Qualification
Master school costs about €8,000 to €15,000 for course and exam, minus Aufstiegs-BAföG. Add your master piece and loss of earnings.
Workshop and machines
With used machines and no CNC, expect roughly €40,000 to €80,000 for the basic equipment, considerably more if new. Deposit, conversion and power connection come on top.
Vehicle and installation
Panel van or transporter with shelving, plus installation tools and ladders: leased from about €500 per month.
Financing
Your bank, the KfW start-up loan and your federal state's development bank. Many chambers of crafts help with the business plan and accompany you to the bank meeting.
How to get it right
- Clarify with the Handwerkskammer which route into the Handwerksrolle suits you
- Check the workshop's approved use and zoning before signing the lease
- Plan extraction as part of the basic investment
- Prepare the declaration of performance for windows with your system supplier
Better not
- Making custom furniture while registered as an "installation business"
- Putting used machines without guards into operation
- Blowing off with compressed air instead of extracting
- Selling windows from your own production without CE
Your joinery on the web
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The general order of Handwerkskammer, trade office and tax office is described in Starting a business in Germany. What belongs in the legal notice is shown in Mandatory details in Germany, and how to reach customers in your region is explained in Local SEO for trades businesses.
Sources
- Handwerksordnung, Annex A
- Handwerksordnung, Annex B
- Handwerksordnung, § 7
- Handwerksordnung, § 7b
- Handwerksordnung, § 8
- Handwerksordnung, § 18 (notification of craft-like trades)
- BGHM – Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall
- SGB VII, § 192
- Gefahrstoffverordnung (basis of the TRGS)
- Lärm- und Vibrations-Arbeitsschutzverordnung
- Aufstiegs-BAföG
- Existenzgründungsportal of the BMWE
