Quality Association for Timber Construction
GHAD (Gütegemeinschaft Holzbau Ausbau Dachbau e.V.) is a Berlin-based German registered association that administers RAL quality marks (RAL-GZ 422, 429, 405-1/2/3, 421) certifying carpentry, timber house-building, and engineering timber firms across Germany.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Quality Association for Timber Construction does
Gütegemeinschaft Holzbau Ausbau Dachbau e.V. (GHAD), operating as the Quality Association for Timber Construction, is a German registered association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) headquartered in Berlin that administers a portfolio of RAL quality marks for the timber construction industry. Its core product is a domain-specialized quality assurance system comprising Güte- und Prüfbestimmungen (quality and testing regulations, GuP) covering six certification marks: RAL-GZ 429 "Dachbau – Bauen im Bestand" (roof construction and building in existing structures), RAL-GZ 422 "Holzhausbau" (wooden house construction), RAL-GZ 405-1/2/3 "Ingenieurholzbau" (engineering timber construction – erection, manufacturing, and planning), and RAL-GZ 421 "Holzrohelementherstellung" (wooden raw element manufacturing). Member timber construction companies (Zimmereien) apply for and receive marks after meeting stipulated quality and testing requirements, with continuous external monitoring carried out through RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V. and a network of accredited testing, monitoring, and certification bodies including Fraunhofer WKI and Kiwa.
GHAD's business model is that of a member-driven industry association rather than a commercial vendor: it does not sell products or services in a conventional sense, with revenue (not publicly disclosed) derived from membership fees and certification-related charges. The addressable customer base comprises small-to-mid carpentry firms, timber house builders, engineering timber manufacturers and planners, and producers of wooden raw elements across Germany; downstream beneficiaries include builders, architects, and public procurement authorities who rely on RAL marks as a signal of verifiable quality. Distribution is direct (companies apply for certification) and reinforced by a public member-locator tool, downloadable technical publications (e.g., the "Gütesicherung im Holzbau" booklet), and a video series featuring member entrepreneurs. The association operates exclusively within Germany and is governed by a board (Vorstand) and secretariat (Geschäftsstelle), with strategic alliances maintained with industry umbrella bodies such as Holzbau Deutschland, Deutscher Holzfertigbau-Verband, ZimmerMeisterHaus, and Arbeitskreis Ökologischer Holzbau.
Quality Association for Timber Construction firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quality Association for Timber Construction
- Legal name
- Gütegemeinschaft Holzbau Ausbau Dachbau e.V.
- Website
- https://ghad.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GHAD (Gütegemeinschaft Holzbau Ausbau Dachbau e.V.) is a Berlin-based German registered association that administers RAL quality marks (RAL-GZ 422, 429, 405-1/2/3, 421) certifying carpentry, timber house-building, and engineering timber firms across Germany.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quality Association for Timber Construction industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Quality Certification
- NAICS
- Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wood Grading, Testing & Certification Services (IMAMABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Controlled Wood / Due Diligence / Risk Assessment Services (AFAMALAC)
Keywords
Where Quality Association for Timber Construction is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Quality Association for Timber Construction business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Quality Association for Timber Construction product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GHAD is a German registered quality assurance association (Gütegemeinschaft) that issues RAL-Gütezeichen (RAL quality marks) to timber construction companies that meet its quality and testing regulations (GuP). It certifies firms across six specialist areas — timber house construction (RAL-GZ 422), roof construction and building in existing structures (RAL-GZ 429), engineering timber construction in erection, manufacturing, and planning (RAL-GZ 405-1/2/3), and wooden raw element manufacturing (RAL-GZ 421) — with continuous third-party monitoring by accredited testing bodies.
Product overview
GHAD (Gütegemeinschaft Holzbau Ausbau Dachbau e.V.) operates as a quality assurance association for timber construction, offering a portfolio of RAL quality marks. The organization provides certification marks covering three specialist areas: roof construction and building in existing structures (RAL-GZ 429), wooden house construction (RAL-GZ 422), and engineering timber construction (covering construction, manufacturing, and planning under RAL-GZ 405-1 through 405-3), plus wooden raw element manufacturing (RAL-GZ 421). Member companies receive the RAL quality mark after meeting strict quality and testing regulations, with ongoing monitoring and certification.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RAL-GZ 422 Holzhausbau: Quality mark for wooden house construction
- RAL-GZ 429 Dachbau - Bauen im Bestand
- RAL-GZ 405-1 Ingenieurholzbau - Errichtung von Ingenieurholzbauten
- RAL-GZ 405-2 Ingenieurholzbau - Herstellung
- RAL-GZ 405-3 Ingenieurholzbau - Planung
- RAL-GZ 421 Holzrohelementherstellung
Products and services
- RAL-GZ 429 Dachbau – Bauen im Bestand RAL quality mark for roof construction and building in existing structures, covering shell construction of timber roof structures, agricultural and forestry buildings, weatherproof envelopes, roof conversions, static and building-physics upgrades to existing buildings, roof coverings, roof drainage, and balcony/terrace construction. Targeted at smaller craft-oriented carpentry businesses (Zimmereien).
- RAL-GZ 422 Holzhausbau
Companies that use Quality Association for Timber Construction
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Quality Association for Timber Construction technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Quality Association for Timber Construction partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RAL Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung e.V.coreRAL Institute creates quality marks and monitors their holders (Gütegemeinschaften). GHAD is a recognized Gütegemeinschaft under RAL, using the RAL quality mark system for timber construction certification.
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, BraunschweigcoreRecognized testing, monitoring, and certification body (PÜZ-Stelle) for timber construction quality certification.
- Kiwa GmbH, BerlincoreRecognized testing, monitoring, and certification body (PÜZ-Stelle) for timber construction quality certification.
- 81fünf high-tech & holzbau AGminorPartner organization in the timber construction industry ecosystem.
- Deutscher Holzfertigbau-Verband e.V.minorPartner association in the prefabricated timber house construction sector.
- ZimmerMeisterHausminorPartner network for master carpenter houses in the timber construction industry.
- Arbeitskreis Ökologischer Holzbau e.V.minorPartner association focused on ecological timber construction.
- Holzbau Deutschland - Bund Deutscher Zimmermeister im ZDBcoreUmbrella organization for German master carpenters in timber construction.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Quality Association for Timber Construction competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ZimmerMeisterHaus: German cooperative network for master carpenter timber house builders, listed as a GHAD partner. Comparable as a quality-branded umbrella for timber-construction firms with certification-style membership criteria.
- Qualitätsgemeinschaft Deutscher Fertigbau e.V. (QDF): Quality association for German prefabricated construction. Comparable to GHAD as a German construction-sector Gütegemeinschaft focused on certifying member firms against defined quality standards.
- Deutscher Holzfertigbau-Verband e.V. Industry association for prefabricated timber house construction in Germany, listed as a GHAD partner. Directly comparable as a German timber-construction trade body with a related quality/standardization mandate and overlapping member base.
- Arbeitskreis Ökologischer Holzbau e.V. Association focused on ecological timber construction in Germany, listed as a GHAD partner. Comparable as a sector-specific quality-oriented timber-construction association overlapping on member firms.
- Holzbau Deutschland – Bund Deutscher Zimmermeister im ZDB: Umbrella organization for German master carpenters in timber construction, identified as a core GHAD partner. Directly comparable as the principal national trade association representing GHAD's underlying Zimmerei constituency.
Broad incumbents
- FSC Deutschland: German national organization of the Forest Stewardship Council. Comparable as a competing sustainability/quality certification scheme for forest products, overlapping with GHAD's certification-market audience.
- PEFC Deutschland: German arm of the international Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. Comparable as a recognized forest/timber certification system, but operates upstream on chain-of-custody rather than downstream construction quality.
- TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH: Major German TIC (testing, inspection, certification) provider offering construction-product and building-component certifications. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes for the same construction-quality certification wallet as GHAD's RAL marks.
Emerging players
- Kiwa GmbH: Internationally active testing, inspection and certification body with German operations in Berlin, recognized by GHAD as a PÜZ-Stelle. Comparable as a broader-scope certification/testing provider that could expand into timber-construction quality marks.
Others
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung (WKI): Fraunhofer institute for wood research in Braunschweig and recognized PÜZ-Stelle for GHAD. Comparable as a leading timber testing/research body whose standards and test methods underpin GHAD's certification marks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Quality Association for Timber Construction social profiles
Digital presenceQuality Association for Timber Construction financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quality Association for Timber Construction leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Quality Association for Timber Construction funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quality Association for Timber Construction M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Quality Association for Timber Construction
What does Quality Association for Timber Construction do?
GHAD is a German registered quality assurance association (Gütegemeinschaft) that issues RAL-Gütezeichen (RAL quality marks) to timber construction companies that meet its quality and testing regulations (GuP). It certifies firms across six specialist areas — timber house construction (RAL-GZ 422), roof construction and building in existing structures (RAL-GZ 429), engineering timber construction in erection, manufacturing, and planning (RAL-GZ 405-1/2/3), and wooden raw element manufacturing (RAL-GZ 421) — with continuous third-party monitoring by accredited testing bodies.
Is Quality Association for Timber Construction a public or private company?
Quality Association for Timber Construction is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Quality Association for Timber Construction founded?
Quality Association for Timber Construction was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Quality Association for Timber Construction based?
Quality Association for Timber Construction is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
Who are Quality Association for Timber Construction's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ZimmerMeisterHaus, Qualitätsgemeinschaft Deutscher Fertigbau e.V. (QDF), Deutscher Holzfertigbau-Verband e.V., Arbeitskreis Ökologischer Holzbau e.V. and Holzbau Deutschland – Bund Deutscher Zimmermeister im ZDB. Broad incumbents are FSC Deutschland, PEFC Deutschland and TÜV Rheinland LGA Products GmbH. Kiwa GmbH is listed as an emerging player. Fraunhofer-Institut für Holzforschung (WKI) is listed as an others.
Does Quality Association for Timber Construction have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quality Association for Timber Construction.
What industry is Quality Association for Timber Construction in?
Quality Association for Timber Construction's product category is Construction Quality Certification. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMABAK, Wood Grading, Testing & Certification Services, with a secondary code of AFAMALAC, Controlled Wood / Due Diligence / Risk Assessment Services. Its NAICS code is 541380 and its SIC code is 8734.