Formats and programs at a glance

The GAEB standard was introduced to ensure a uniform level of information in construction projects. Interested parties should be provided with clear lists of services and service descriptions, and work and communication should be facilitated for architects, construction companies, craftsmen and suppliers.

For these reasons the term GAEB is rightly closely linked to the construction sector. However, using the GAEB standard can also make sense outside the construction and civil engineering sector. Below we show some typical application areas in which GAEB files can be used sensibly and can contribute to greater efficiency and better communication.

Tenders and service specifications

When it comes to public procurement, for example a city or municipality, traders cannot avoid the GAEB standard. Artisan businesses that wish to regularly participate in public competitions should ensure that they use a GAEB-compatible calculation program for their business. Private customers now also create service specifications as GAEB files, usually as GAEB .X83.

Construction companies and tradesmen open them in a GAEB program, quote the items in the service list and return their quotation as a GAEB X84 file. The uniform format is once again an advantage for the customer, as all incoming offers can be structured and compared digitally.

Calculation and invoicing of the offer

The bid calculation works very easily even for tenders with the right GAEB program. Items imported into a GAEB program via a GAEB service list can be treated as a service. Standard prices are calculated based on current cost rates for materials, services and wages.

After construction work has been completed, invoices can be created and transmitted digitally in GAEB .X89 format. However, when it comes to invoicing, craft businesses have slightly more leeway: From 2020, invoices for public customers in Germany must be available in electronic format, i.e. as an XRechnung or ZUGFeRD invoice. The GAEB .X89 format is permitted, but not required. If a GAEB program is capable of generating one of the mentioned electronic invoice formats, this is completely sufficient.