Knowledge · Templates & checklists
Checklist: acceptance report (Abnahmeprotokoll) for construction work
A complete report decides what can still be claimed after acceptance. This checklist helps you forget nothing and provides a sample text to adapt.
Last updated 20.10.2026 · 4 min read · Checklist and sample, to be adapted to the individual case
Key points at a glance
- The report records the date, participants, scope accepted, defects, remaining work and reservations.
- The contractual penalty and known defects must be reserved at acceptance (§ 11 para. 4 VOB/B, § 640 para. 3 BGB).
- The date of acceptance triggers the due date, the limitation period and the transfer of risk. Write it down.
- Each party receives one copy (§ 12 para. 4 VOB/B).
Background and legal consequences: Acceptance of construction work.
Checklist before the appointment
| Item | Done |
|---|---|
| Completion reported in writing, acceptance requested or agreed (note the date) | ☐ |
| Date and place agreed with sufficient notice, invitation in writing | ☐ |
| Participants determined: client (Auftraggeber), contractor (Auftragnehmer), site management, expert if applicable | ☐ |
| Contract, bill of quantities (Leistungsverzeichnis), Nachträge (change orders) and plans to hand | ☐ |
| Daily reports (Bautagesberichte), photos and measurement (Aufmaß) ready | ☐ |
| Test records (tightness, pressure, measurements, screed moisture) | ☐ |
| Operating instructions, maintenance notes, as-built drawings | ☐ |
| Own pre-acceptance carried out, obvious defects remedied | ☐ |
Checklist at the appointment
| Item | Done |
|---|---|
| Walk-through according to the bill of quantities and the plan, room by room | ☐ |
| Defects recorded with location, description and photo | ☐ |
| Defects classified as material and immaterial | ☐ |
| Remaining work noted with a deadline | ☐ |
| Reservations (known defects, contractual penalty) included | ☐ |
| Objections of the contractor included | ☐ |
| Documents handed over listed | ☐ |
| Key and meter readings, if relevant | ☐ |
| Report read on site and signed by both sides | ☐ |
| Each party receives one copy | ☐ |
Checklist after the appointment
| Item | Done |
|---|---|
| Date of acceptance noted as the start of the limitation period (see Warranty) | ☐ |
| Deadlines for remedying defects in the calendar | ☐ |
| Prepare the Schlussrechnung (final invoice) (see Schlussrechnung) | ☐ |
| Check securities: return of the performance security, provision of the warranty security (see Security retention) | ☐ |
| Report, photos and annexes filed in the project folder | ☐ |
Sample text
The sample below is in German on purpose, because the report is signed with and handed to a German counterpart; adapt it to your case without translating it.
ABNAHMEPROTOKOLL
Bauvorhaben: [Bezeichnung, Adresse]
Vertrag vom [TT.MM.JJJJ], Auftragsnummer [Nummer]
Auftraggeber: [Name, Anschrift]
Auftragnehmer: [Name, Anschrift]
Gewerk / Leistungsumfang: [Beschreibung]
Art der Abnahme: [förmliche Abnahme / Teilabnahme für ...]
Datum und Uhrzeit: [TT.MM.JJJJ, hh:mm]
Ort: [Adresse]
Teilnehmer:
- Auftraggeber: [Name, Funktion]
- Auftragnehmer: [Name, Funktion]
- Weitere: [Bauleitung, Sachverständiger, ...]
1. Abgenommener Leistungsumfang
[Die Leistungen laut Vertrag vom [Datum] einschließlich Nachträgen [Nr.] bis [Nr.] wurden begangen. Abgenommen werden: ...]
2. Festgestellte Mängel (Mängelliste)
Nr. | Ort | Beschreibung | Foto | Frist zur Beseitigung
1 | [Raum / Bauteil] | [Mangel] | [Nr.] | [Datum]
2 | [...] | [...] | [...] | [...]
Die Mängel sind [wesentlich / unwesentlich]. Die Abnahme wird [erklärt / wegen wesentlicher Mängel verweigert].
3. Restarbeiten
[Beschreibung] bis [Datum].
4. Vorbehalte
Der Auftraggeber behält sich vor:
- Rechte wegen der unter 2. genannten und weiterer bekannter Mängel,
- die Vertragsstrafe [Betrag/Regelung, Vertragsziffer] wegen Überschreitung des Fertigstellungstermins [Datum],
- [weitere Vorbehalte].
5. Einwendungen des Auftragnehmers
[Einwendungen oder „keine“].
6. Übergebene Unterlagen
[Bedienungsanleitungen, Prüfprotokolle, Bestandspläne, Garantieerklärungen, ...]
7. Sonstiges
[Zählerstände, Schlüsselübergabe, ...]
Mit der Abnahme beginnt die Verjährungsfrist für Mängelansprüche am [Datum] (§ 13 Abs. 4 Nr. 3 VOB/B bzw. § 634a Abs. 2 BGB).
Das Protokoll wurde vor Ort verlesen, von den Beteiligten genehmigt und in [Anzahl] Ausfertigungen erstellt. Jede Partei erhält eine Ausfertigung.
[Ort], den [TT.MM.JJJJ]
Auftraggeber: ________________________ Auftragnehmer: ________________________
Notes
- Material defects: In that case acceptance can be refused. Document the refusal and, on request, the joint inspection of the condition (§ 650g BGB).
- Partial acceptance: For self-contained parts, record them separately.
- Signature refused? Note this in the signature field with the date and witnesses.
- Whoever accepts must be authorised. Clarify powers of attorney in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to have the report signed straight away?
Yes, preferably on site. Have both sides read and sign it and give each party a copy.
What if defects appear after the appointment?
They fall under the defect claims. Give written notice of them while the period is running (§ 13 para. 5 VOB/B).
Is a photo of the signature enough?
The original is better. For later disputes, a report signed in the original is the safest evidence.
May the client refuse acceptance if minor defects remain?
No, not because of immaterial defects (§ 640 para. 1 sentence 2 BGB). Material defects entitle the client to refuse under VOB/B (§ 12 para. 3).
Sources and status
- § 12 paras. 1 to 6, § 11 para. 4, § 13 para. 4 VOB/B (2016 version, checked against the statutory text in the BauWalker corpus)
- §§ 640, 650g, 634a BGB
- Stand: 19.10.2026. The sample and checklist do not replace legal advice. Check your contract for deviating rules.
- Quotations of statutory text are given in translation; the German wording is authoritative.
How it works in BauWalker
BauWalker prepares documents such as the acceptance report as drafts, and the report can be filed in the project next to the contract and daily reports. You check the text and decide.
This material is for information and is not legal or tax advice. The specific consequences depend on your contract and the circumstances on the construction site.
Keep reading
Acceptance of construction work: formal, deemed, with reservations
How acceptance (Abnahme) works under VOB/B and the BGB, when it is deemed to have taken place, what belongs in the acceptance report and what it means for payment, burden of proof and limitation.
Warranty in construction (Gewährleistung): 4 or 5 years? VOB/B and BGB compared
How long defect claims for construction work take to become time-barred, when the period starts, what a notice of defects (Mängelrüge) achieves and which rights the client has.
Create documents – invoice, quote, change order
Invoice, quote, change order, letter and acceptance report: you describe the task in your language, BauWalker prepares the document in German.