Profession

Architects in Germany: the chamber list and title

In Germany the title Architekt is protected and tied to an entry in a state chamber's list. How to look one up, what the lists omit, and how fees work.

Checked on against the official sources at the bottom of the page.

In short

In Germany, the professional titles Architekt (architect), interior architect, landscape architect and urban planner are protected. According to the Federal Chamber of Architects (BAK), only someone entered as a member in the list of one of the 16 state chambers may use them. There is no national register: each state has its own chamber and its own online list, and the lists are incomplete by design. The fee ordinance (HOAI) offers a fee table, but the parties may agree a higher or lower fee.

What an architect does in a German purchase

Nothing we read makes an architect part of a purchase. The profession matters when you buy a property that needs work, or a plot you want to build on. Two points from the BAK explain why the entry matters: an entry brings, in the BAK’s words, “die volle Bauvorlageberechtigung für die Berufsaufgaben der Fachrichtung”, the right to submit building application documents, and the North Rhine-Westphalia chamber says its list also gives the building authorities information on this right.

An architect gives a view on planning, structure and permitted works. A valuer gives a market value instead: see property valuers.

How the title is regulated

The BAK page says: “Die Berufsbezeichnungen: Architekt/-in, Innenarchitekt/-in, Garten- und Landschaftsarchitekt/-in und Stadtplaner/-in sind in Deutschland geschützt. Diese Berufsbezeichnung darf nur führen, wer bei einer Architektenkammer als Mitglied in die Architekten- und Stadtplanerliste eingetragen ist.”

The conditions are set by the architects’ acts of the individual states (Architektengesetze der einzelnen Bundesländer). The BAK gives the typical pattern: for architecture, a minimum full-time course of 4 years (8 semesters); for the other fields, 3 or 4 years depending on the state. A degree plus at least two years of practice in the main tasks of the field can also lead to entry. It also refers to a model act (Musterarchitektengesetz) that the states have followed in different ways. We could not open the state acts themselves, because the portals we tried needed a script or returned nothing, so we do not quote section numbers. If a rule matters to you, read the act of your state or ask its chamber.

How to check an architect yourself

  1. Ask for the chamber and the state where the person is registered, and the field of entry.
  2. Use that chamber’s online list. The BAK page names all 16 chambers and links to their search portals: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. Use https://bak.de/qualitaet-und-baukultur/bauen/architektensuche/ to reach each one.
  3. Read what the list shows. For Baden-Württemberg, its search page says you can search by name, narrowed by postcode, place or field (architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning), and that it shows the address and contact data the members released. For North Rhine-Westphalia, the list gives members’ contact details.
  4. Do not treat a missing entry as proof of anything. The BAK says: “nicht jede/r eingetragene Architekt oder Architektin … ist automatisch auch über die Suchfunktionen der Landeskammer zu finden. Die Eintragung in die Onlineliste ist nicht verpflichtend für Kammermitglieder.” The North Rhine-Westphalia chamber warns “Nicht alle Mitglieder haben einer Veröffentlichung im Internet zugestimmt.” The Baden-Württemberg chamber says members who objected to publication under § 26 of its architects’ act are not listed (“Nicht aufgeführt in diesem Verzeichnis sind diejenigen Mitglieder, die einer Veröffentlichung ihrer Daten gemäß § 26 Architektengesetz widersprochen haben”).
  5. If the person is not on the list, ask the chamber itself, in writing, whether he or she is a member. Payotte did not test what the chambers answer.

Terms of use of the lists

We looked for terms of use on the three pages we could read and found none:

  • The BAK page, which links to the 16 portals, carries no terms on re-use.
  • The North Rhine-Westphalia chamber says: “Der Gesetzgeber hat die Architektenkammer NRW damit beauftragt, die Architektenliste zu führen und diese der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich zu machen.” That is a statement of purpose, not a licence to copy.
  • The Baden-Württemberg page says it shows “die von den Mitgliedern zur Veröffentlichung freigegebenen Adress- und Kontaktinformationen”.

We did not read the terms of the other 13 chambers. Because no re-use rule has been found, Payotte does not copy, collect or republish entries from any chamber’s list. It links to the BAK page and asks you to search yourself.

What it costs

The fee ordinance for architects and engineers (HOAI) states in § 1 that its rules “können zum Zwecke der Honorarberechnung einer Honorarvereinbarung zugrunde gelegt werden”. Under § 7 paragraph 1, “Das Honorar richtet sich nach der Vereinbarung, die die Vertragsparteien in Textform treffen.” If there is no written agreement on the amount, the base fee rate from the tables is deemed agreed for basic services. Paragraph 2 requires the architect, where the client is a consumer, to point out in text form before the client’s binding declaration that a higher or lower fee than the table values can be agreed; without that notice, the base rate applies instead of a higher fee. So the HOAI gives a reference, not a mandatory price. We give no percentage, because the amount depends on the scope of the work and the agreement. For other costs, use the purchase costs calculator.

Which professional to consult

For the value of the property, a valuer. For the purchase contract, a notary. For the loan that pays for works, a mortgage broker. For rules on energy certificates, read the energy certificate when buying.

Frequently asked questions

Can anyone call themselves an architect in Germany?

No. According to the BAK, the title may be used only by a member entered in a chamber’s list.

Is there a national list of architects?

No. There are 16 state chambers and 16 lists, reached through the BAK page.

Why can’t I find someone I know is a member?

Entry in the online list is not compulsory for members, and members can object to publication.

Does the HOAI set a fixed fee?

No. Under § 7 HOAI the fee follows the written agreement; the table values apply as base rates if no amount was agreed.

Does Payotte recommend architects?

Not today: Payotte publishes no firm in Germany yet and never ranks architects. Firms can ask for their spot; Payotte will then select one firm per trade and area on public data under a published scale, never on its ability to pay, and the registration stays for you to check yourself.

Sources