The UAV 2012 are the Dutch standard terms for construction contracts in the Netherlands, and they apply only when the specifications (bestek) or the construction contract declare them applicable. For clients and contractors, they set their own rules on completion, variations, delay penalties and disputes. If you want a UAV construction contract reviewed before signing, this page shows which clauses make the difference.
What are the UAV 2012 and when do they apply?
The UAV 2012 (Uniform Administrative Conditions for the execution of works and technical installation works 2012) are not legislation but general terms and conditions. They bind the parties only if the contract refers to them. The current text is the UAV 2012 (versie 2025).
The Dutch Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning adopted that version on 17 February 2025, and the text is published in the Staatscourant 2025, 6896. The official text is in Dutch. Under § 2(1), the provisions apply unless the specifications expressly deviate from them. § 2(3) makes Dutch law applicable to the contract.
For a foreign company, this means that signing a contract under the UAV 2012 also means accepting Dutch law. State the full title and the version in the contract. How general terms become part of a contract under Dutch law is covered in our article on when general terms and conditions apply. For the wider legal framework, see our page on construction contracts in the Netherlands.
What is the difference between the UAV 2012 and the UAV-GC?
The UAV 2012 suit traditional contracting, where the client supplies the design and the specifications and the contractor builds. For integrated contracts, in which the contractor also designs, parties usually use the separate UAV-GC.
That split is visible in § 5(2) UAV 2012: the client is responsible for the structures and working methods it prescribes, including the effect of soil conditions. The contractor still has a duty of its own. If the design contains obvious errors and the contractor builds anyway, § 6(14) makes it liable for the harmful consequences.
The Dutch Civil Code contains a similar duty to warn in Article 7:754. For a building, paragraph 2 requires the warning to be in writing and unambiguous, and to point out the possible consequences. A verbal remark on site is therefore weak evidence.
How do inspection and completion work under the UAV 2012?
Under the UAV 2012, the work counts as completed once the client’s supervisor (the directie) approves it after inspection, or is deemed to have approved it. If the supervisor does not respond within eight days of the inspection, approval follows automatically (§ 9(5)).
The process starts with a written request from the contractor stating the day on which it considers the work finished (§ 9(1)). The inspection normally takes place within eight days of that day (§ 9(2)). If it has not happened within fifteen days, the contractor can send a new request by registered letter; eight days later the work is deemed approved (§ 9(6)).
Minor defects that can be repaired before the next payment instalment are no ground for refusing approval (§ 9(7)). The Civil Code is less precise: Article 7:758(1) refers only to a “reasonable period” for the client to inspect. The UAV replace that open standard with fixed days.
What is the maintenance period under the UAV 2012?
The maintenance period (onderhoudstermijn) is a period after completion during which the contractor repairs defects that appear, at its own cost. It exists only if the specifications prescribe it; the UAV 2012 do not set a default length (§ 11(1)).
Normal wear and tear and defects caused by incorrect use are excluded (§ 11(2)). At the end, the supervisor inspects the work again (§ 11(6)). If there is a maintenance period, the liability periods in § 12 start only after it ends (§ 12(5)).
How long is the contractor liable for hidden defects?
Under the UAV 2012 (versie 2025), a claim for a defect must be brought within five years of completion. Where the work has collapsed or become unfit for its purpose and only very costly measures can fix it, the period is ten years (§ 12(4)).
That is shorter than the statutory outer limit. Under Article 7:761(2) of the Dutch Civil Code, a claim for a defect in a building expires at the latest twenty years after completion. Within that limit, Article 7:761(1) applies: the claim expires two years after the client has complained about the defect. More on Dutch time limits is in limitation periods in the Netherlands.
The 2025 version also changed the basis of liability. In the original 2012 text, the contractor was in principle no longer liable after completion, except for defects that the supervisor could not reasonably have detected despite close supervision. Those paragraphs were deleted in the 2025 version. § 12(4) now refers to a defect for which the contractor is liable “krachtens de wet”, meaning by law.
That statutory rule is Article 7:758(4) of the Civil Code: for buildings, the contractor is liable for defects not discovered at completion, unless they cannot be attributed to it. A business client can deviate from this only if the deviation is expressly included in the contract. Under Article 7:762, liability for a known defect that the contractor concealed cannot be excluded, limited or made subject to shorter periods.
Does your contract still refer to the original UAV 2012, or are you unsure which liability regime applies to your project? MAAK advises clients and contractors on UAV contracts and can review your specifications and contract before a defect turns into a dispute. Contact us about your construction contract.
How is additional work paid under the UAV 2012?
Additional work under the UAV 2012 mostly arises from changes to the specifications, the work or the conditions of execution (§ 36(1)). The contractor can claim a higher price only if it warned the client in time about that price increase (§ 36(1a)).
This mirrors Article 7:755 of the Civil Code, with the same exception: no warning is needed if the client should have understood the need for a price increase on its own. The parties preferably agree the price of a change before it is carried out (§ 36(4)). Without a written instruction, the right to payment for the change remains (§ 36(5)), but proving it becomes harder.
The UAV also set limits. The contractor must carry out changes as long as the additions and the deductions each stay within 15% of the contract sum, or the balance within 10% (§ 36(3)). If omitted work exceeds additional work at the final account, the contractor receives 10% of the difference (§ 35(5)). If a dispute has already started, read our article on a legal dispute over additional work with a contractor.
When does a contractor get an extension of time?
A contractor is entitled to an extension of time in case of force majeure, circumstances at the client’s risk, and changes to the specifications or the execution (§ 8(5)). It must request the extension in writing and in time.
Under § 8(4), a request is considered only if it is in writing and reaches the supervisor at least fourteen days before the completion period expires, unless the supervisor waives this. The fourteen days count back from the completion date, not forward from the moment the delay starts.
What does late completion cost under the UAV 2012?
For late completion, the client can impose a deduction (korting) on the contract sum. The amount is set in the specifications; if they are silent, the deduction is € 60 per day (§ 42(2)).
The deduction is due as soon as the completion date passes, without any notice of default (§ 42(5)). No deduction applies for days that are not working days, or for delay caused by force majeure that has not already been reflected in an extension (§ 42(3)). In legal terms, it is a penalty clause within the meaning of Article 6:91 of the Civil Code, which a court can reduce at the contractor’s request if fairness clearly requires it (Article 6:94(1)).
Example: a design change and a missed completion date
Suppose a logistics company hires a contractor to build a warehouse, with the UAV 2012 (versie 2025) declared applicable and a completion date in the specifications. Halfway through, the client wants an extra loading dock. The supervisor approves the change verbally at a site meeting; the minutes only say “extra dock agreed”.
The contractor builds the dock and completes two weeks late. It never requested an extension in writing and never warned that the change would cost more. The client deducts the penalty and refuses the invoice for the additional work.
The change does give a right to an extension under § 8(5), and the lack of a written instruction does not remove the right to payment (§ 36(5)). On the other hand, the contractor did not request the extension in time (§ 8(4)) and did not announce the price increase (§ 36(1a)). The outcome then turns on whether the client should have understood that an extra loading dock costs money. A short written confirmation with the price and a new completion date would have prevented the dispute.
Does an arbitrator or a court decide a UAV dispute?
The UAV 2012 refer disputes by default to arbitration under the rules of the Raad van Arbitrage voor de Bouw, the Dutch construction arbitration board (§ 49(2)). The parties thereby waive the ordinary courts (§ 49(1)), unless the specifications expressly provide otherwise.
Check the dispute clause in the specifications and the contract first; the UAV are only the starting point. Also note § 49(3): a contractor that wants to challenge the client’s final account must do so within six months after the client has drawn its attention to that period by registered letter. During a dispute, the contractor must continue the work if the supervisor asks (§ 50(1)). How construction arbitration works is explained in conducting a construction dispute through arbitration. If you are considering ending the contract instead, see terminating a construction contract under Dutch law.
When should you have a UAV construction contract reviewed?
Have a UAV construction contract reviewed before you tender or sign, and again as soon as a change, delay or defect starts to cost money. Many UAV deadlines run in days, such as the eight days in § 9 and the fourteen days in § 8.
- Which version of the UAV 2012 applies, and where the specifications deviate from it.
- Whether the specifications prescribe a maintenance period, and for how long.
- The amount of the deduction for late completion.
- How changes and price agreements are recorded in writing.
- Who decides disputes: the arbitration board or the ordinary courts.
Are you about to sign a construction contract under the UAV 2012, or is there already a disagreement about completion, additional work or a deduction? MAAK advises businesses on both sides of the construction contract and can look at your position before a deadline passes. Ask us about your UAV contract.
Frequently asked questions about the UAV 2012
Are the UAV 2012 mandatory for construction contracts in the Netherlands?
No. The UAV 2012 are standard terms and apply only if the contract or specifications declare them applicable. Without that reference, the statutory rules on construction contracts in Article 7:750 and following of the Dutch Civil Code apply.
What is the UAV 2012 (versie 2025)?
It is the revised text adopted by the Dutch Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning on 17 February 2025 and published in Staatscourant 2025, 6896. One of the changes concerns § 12: liability after completion now follows the statutory rules.
Within what period must the client pay?
Under § 40(6), an instalment must be paid within four weeks after the inspection has shown that the contractor is entitled to it. If the specifications require an invoice, the four weeks run from the moment the invoice is properly received by the supervisor.
Can the client demand a bank guarantee under the UAV 2012?
Yes, unless the specifications provide otherwise. § 43a(3) refers to a bank guarantee of 5% of the contract sum. The client cannot require it if the parties have already agreed that part of the contract sum will be withheld (§ 43a(7)).
