NACE 43 – Specialised Construction Activities | Public Tenders
NACE 43 Specialised construction: public contracts for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting and dry-lining works. CPV codes, contracting authorities and typical tenders.
Definition: NACE 43 covers site preparation works (demolition, earthworks), technical building services (electrical, HVAC and plumbing) and interior finishing (plastering, painting, flooring, dry-lining). Specialised construction is the typical area of lot-based awards in public construction.
Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026
What does NACE 43 cover?
NACE 43 (Specialised construction activities, building installation and other completion work) covers all trades that follow the shell-and-core phase and render buildings usable — the heart of trade-lot procurement.
| Group | Title | Typical services |
|---|---|---|
| 43.1 | Demolition and site preparation | Building demolition, earthworks, gutting, unexploded ordnance clearance |
| 43.2 | Electrical, plumbing and other construction installation activities | Electrical installation, plumbing, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), fire protection |
| 43.3 | Building completion and finishing | Plastering, dry-lining, floor coverings, painting, glazing, tiling, joinery |
| 43.9 | Other specialised construction activities | Roofing, carpentry, scaffolding, sealing, thermal insulation (ETICS) |
Public Tenders – Specialised Construction
Specialised construction is the classic area of trade-lot procurement — every public building project requires numerous specialist trades:
- Electrical engineering and low-voltage technology (building automation, security technology, IT wiring)
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) for public buildings
- Plumbing installation (hospitals, schools, administrative buildings)
- Painting, floor coverings and dry-lining in refurbishment measures
- Fire-protection upgrading (sprinklers, fire doors, smoke ventilation)
- Façade insulation and roofing (energy refurbishment programmes)
Relevant CPV codes
| CPV code | Title | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 45310000 | Electrical installation work | Electrical engineering, lighting |
| 45330000 | Plumbing and sanitary works | Plumbing installation |
| 45331000 | Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning installation work | HVAC |
| 45400000 | Building completion work | General interior finishing |
| 45410000 | Plastering work | Plastering and dry-lining |
| 45442100 | Painting work | Painting works |
Contracting Authorities
- Municipalities and cities (schools, kindergartens, town halls, social facilities)
- Federal states (Länder) (state authorities, courts, state hospitals, universities)
- Federal government and federal authorities (BImA, armed forces, judiciary)
- Federal Real Estate Company (BIG) in Austria
- Hospital operators (non-profit and public-law)
FAQ
Must specialised construction trades always be tendered as trade lots? The requirement of lot-based awards applies in principle (§ 97 (4) GWB; § 76 BVergG 2018). Main-contractor awards are permissible only with substantive justification — for example where the coordination of trades is particularly complex or unified warranty cover is mandatory. The justification must be documented.
From what contract value must specialised construction trades be tendered EU-wide? Specialised construction trades are works services; the EU threshold is EUR 5,538,000 based on the total value of the construction project. Even if individual trade lots are below it, an EU-wide obligation may apply where the total works contract exceeds the threshold.
- NACE F – Construction: Parent section
- NACE 41 – Construction of buildings: Building construction and site development
- NACE 42 – Civil engineering: Infrastructure and engineering construction
Last updated: January 2026 All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.
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