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Site Preparation in Germany - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Nina Koefler Nina Koefler Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: August 2025 WZ F43.12DE

Revenue

€4.0bn

2025

€4.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€XXX.Xm

Employees

23,687

Businesses

4,263

Wages

€X.Xbn

Site Preparation in Germany industry analysis

At the beginning of the last five-year period, the preparatory construction site work sector benefited from a largely positive trend in the domestic economy as well as extremely low interest rates and the associated upturn in domestic construction activity. The construction boom of recent years was fuelled in particular by residential construction. Building construction companies increasingly demanded preparatory construction site work in order to be able to start construction themselves. In addition, many companies invested in expansion, which also had a positive effect on construction activity. As a result, industry turnover rose by an average of 3.1% per year between 2020 and 2025.

The increases in the base rate and the rising cost of construction and living have had an increasingly negative impact on demand for preparatory construction site work since 2023 and the general conditions have also deteriorated increasingly in light of the slowdown in the construction industry. Construction activity in building construction in Germany recorded significant declines in 2023 and 2024, particularly in residential construction. According to the Federal Statistical Office, only 251,900 flats were completed in 2024. This was 14.4% fewer than in 2023. The resulting intensified price competition has also squeezed profit margins in the sector since 2023. Industry turnover of €4 billion is forecast for the current year. This means that turnover is likely to fall by 1.4% compared to the previous year. However, increasing infrastructure investments by the public sector, particularly in civil engineering, and a slight increase in urbanisation are likely to continue to have a positive impact on the industry.

For the period from 2025 to 2030, IBISWorld expects average annual growth of 2.8% and industry turnover of 4.6 billion euros in 2030. This is primarily due to the continued high demand for housing, which will increase the demand for preparatory construction site work. The government is also planning to invest heavily in German infrastructure over the next few years. A central element is the 500 billion euro investment package, which is planned over a period of twelve years and covers various areas of infrastructure. Plans include the modernisation of infrastructure, investment in educational facilities and hospitals as well as a broad expansion of the digital infrastructure. The associated construction activities are likely to drive revenue growth in the sector in the coming years.

Trends and Insights

  • The end of the construction boom is having a negative impact on the order situation for industry players. In view of the rise in interest rates, the continuous expansion of housing capacity is threatening to come to a standstill.
  • Clearing and levelling work accounts for the majority of industry turnover. In the current year, the proportion of industry turnover accounted for by this work is likely to remain constant given the sluggish growth in investment in motorway construction.
  • The south of Germany is home to by far the most companies in the sector. Bavaria is an attractive business location due to its economic strength, which has a positive impact on commercial construction.
  • External competition comes from construction companies that are vertically integrated. These are usually large companies that have focussed on building construction or civil engineering and take on the preparatory construction site work themselves.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.1 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €4.0bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

The preparatory construction site work sector has been struggling with a low order situation since 2023

  • The industry players are at the beginning of the value chain when it comes to carrying out all kinds of construction contracts, as they prepare building sites for the subsequent construction of buildings, roads or production halls, for example. In addition to earthworks, important activities include the clearing of construction sites and the drainage of agricultural and forestry land.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Site Preparation in Germany
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Preparatory construction site work plays an important role for future tasks such as the energy transition and infrastructure expansion

  • The demand for preparatory construction site work correlates strongly with the development of the construction industry in Germany. Falling key interest rates and prices are fuelling the recovery of the construction industry. In addition, the German government has launched a comprehensive infrastructure package to clear the modernisation backlog in Germany and strengthen the economy. The package provides for investments totalling 500 billion euros, which are to flow into the areas of infrastructure, digitalisation and climate neutrality via a new special fund.

Biggest companies in the Site Preparation in Germany

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue (€m)
2025
Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH
53.6
BUG Verkehrsbau SE
49.1
Stricker Holding GmbH & Co. KG
34.2

To view the market share and analysis for all 4 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Site Preparation in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Clearing and levelling work, Excavation work and Other preparatory site work. Clearing and levelling work is the largest segment of the Site Preparation in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Clearing and levelling work is carried out during the construction of buildings and roads

  • Clearing and levelling work involves the removal of everything that prevents construction on a site. This ranges from rubble clearance to the removal of overburden.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry is implementing various measures to facilitate and simplify later construction and civil engineering work. These include, for example, the removal of debris from construction sites and various earthmoving services. The industry does not include oil and gas drilling for production purposes, the decontamination of wells and the construction of wells and shafts.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Site Preparation industry in Germany include Clearing and levelling work, Excavation work, Drainage work and Drilling work.

Companies

Companies covered in the Site Preparation industry in Germany include Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH, BUG Verkehrsbau SE and Stricker Holding GmbH & Co. KG.

Purchase this report to view all 4 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Site Preparation industry in Germany include economic construction, public building and roverstab.

Industry Code

WZ 2008

WZ 43.12 - Site Preparation in Germany

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The end of the construction boom is having a negative impact on the order situation for industry players. In view of the rise in interest rates, the continuous expansion of h...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Clearing and levelling work accounts for the majority of industry turnover. In the current year, the proportion of industry turnover accounted for by this work is likely to r...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

The south of Germany is home to by far the most companies in the sector. Bavaria is an attractive business location due to its economic strength, which has a positive impact ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Europe, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

External competition comes from construction companies that are vertically integrated. These are usually large companies that have focussed on building construction or civil ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

There are no major players in the industry. The companies mostly only cover the regional market.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of BUG Verkehrsbau SE's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Stricker Holding GmbH & Co. KG's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for one additional company

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for BUG Verkehrsbau SE, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Stricker Holding GmbH & Co. KG, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for one additional company

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The sector is strongly linked to the construction industry. A reduction in construction activity poses a risk to the development of sector sales.

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The profit margins of industry players are likely to remain at a comparatively low level in the current year. The reason for this is the poor order situation in the construct...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Site Preparation industry in Germany in 2025?

The market size of the Site Preparation industry in Germany is €4.0bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Site Preparation industry in Germany in 2025?

There are 4,263 businesses in the Site Preparation industry in Germany, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Site Preparation industry in Germany?

The Site Preparation industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Site Preparation industry in Germany?

The Site Preparation industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Site Preparation industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Site Preparation industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 3.1 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Site Preparation industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Site Preparation industry in Germany is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Site Preparation industry in Germany?

The biggest companies operating in the Site Preparation industry in Germany are Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH, BUG Verkehrsbau SE and Stricker Holding GmbH & Co. KG

What does the Site Preparation industry in Germany include?

Clearing and levelling work and Excavation work are part of the Site Preparation industry in Germany.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Site Preparation industry in Germany?

The company holding the most market share in the Site Preparation industry in Germany is Thomas Hagedorn Holding GmbH.

How competitive is the Site Preparation industry in Germany?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Site Preparation industry in Germany.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.

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