Overview: Construction in EU Procurement
Construction and engineering is the single largest category in European public procurement by value. Works contracts for infrastructure, buildings, renovation, and civil engineering regularly exceed the EUR 5.5 million EU threshold, making them highly visible on TED. At the same time, thousands of smaller construction contracts are published on national portals across all member states.
For construction firms, engineering consultancies, and specialist subcontractors, understanding the CPV code landscape is essential. The two primary divisions are 45 — Construction work (for physical works) and 71 — Architectural, construction, engineering, and inspection services (for professional services). This guide covers both comprehensively.
Division 45: Construction Work
Division 45 covers all physical construction, demolition, earthworks, and building installation. It is the largest CPV division by procurement volume.
45100000-8 — Site Preparation Work
- 45110000-1 — Building demolition and wrecking work and earthmoving work
- 45111000-8 — Demolition, site preparation, and clearance work
- 45111100-9 — Demolition work
- 45111200-0 — Site preparation and clearance work
- 45111300-1 — Dismantling work
- 45112000-5 — Excavating and earthmoving work
- 45112100-6 — Trench-digging work
- 45113000-2 — Site work
- 45120000-4 — Test drilling and boring work
45200000-9 — Works for Complete or Part Construction and Civil Engineering
This is the most frequently used group in construction procurement:
- 45210000-2 — Building construction work
- 45211000-9 — Construction work for multi-dwelling and single-dwelling buildings
- 45211100-0 — Houses (construction of)
- 45211200-1 — Sheltered housing (construction of)
- 45212000-6 — Construction of leisure, sports, culture, lodging, and restaurant buildings
- 45212100-7 — Construction of leisure facilities
- 45212200-8 — Construction of sports facilities
- 45212300-9 — Construction of art and cultural buildings
- 45213000-3 — Construction of commercial buildings, warehouses, and industrial buildings
- 45213100-4 — Construction of commercial buildings
- 45213200-5 — Construction of warehouses and industrial buildings
- 45213300-6 — Buildings associated with transport
- 45213310-9 — Construction work for buildings relating to road transport
- 45214000-0 — Construction of buildings relating to education and research
- 45214100-1 — Construction of kindergartens
- 45214200-2 — Construction of school buildings
- 45214300-3 — Construction of college buildings
- 45214400-4 — Construction of university buildings
- 45215000-7 — Construction of buildings relating to health and social services
- 45215100-8 — Construction of buildings relating to health
- 45215140-0 — Construction of hospital facilities
- 45215200-9 — Construction of social-services buildings
- 45216000-4 — Construction of buildings for law courts or public assemblies
- 45220000-5 — Engineering works and construction works
- 45221000-2 — Construction of bridges and tunnels, shafts, and subways
- 45221100-3 — Construction of bridges
- 45221200-4 — Construction of tunnels
- 45222000-9 — Construction of engineering works, except bridges, tunnels, shafts, and subways
- 45223000-6 — Construction of structures
- 45223200-8 — Structural works
- 45223300-9 — Parking-lot construction
- 45230000-8 — Pipeline, communication, and power-line construction, highways, roads, airfields, and railways
- 45231000-5 — Construction of pipelines, communication, and power lines
- 45232000-2 — Ancillary works for pipelines and cables
- 45233000-9 — Construction, foundation, and surface work for highways, roads
- 45233100-0 — Construction of highways, roads
- 45233200-1 — Various surface works
- 45234000-6 — Construction of railways and cable-transport systems
- 45234100-7 — Railway construction
- 45235000-3 — Construction of airfield runways
45300000-0 — Building Installation Work
- 45310000-3 — Electrical installation work
- 45311000-0 — Electrical wiring and fitting work
- 45312000-7 — Alarm and antenna installation work
- 45314000-1 — Installation of telecommunications equipment
- 45315000-8 — Electrical installation of heating and other building electrical equipment
- 45320000-6 — Insulation work
- 45321000-3 — Thermal insulation work
- 45330000-9 — Plumbing and sanitary works
- 45331000-6 — Heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) installation
- 45332000-3 — Plumbing and drain-laying work
- 45333000-0 — Gas-fitting installation work
- 45340000-2 — Fencing, railing, and safety equipment installation
- 45343000-3 — Fire-prevention installation work
- 45350000-5 — Mechanical installations
- 45351000-2 — Mechanical engineering installation work
45400000-1 — Building Completion Work
- 45410000-4 — Plastering work
- 45420000-7 — Joinery and carpentry installation work
- 45421000-4 — Joinery work (doors, windows)
- 45430000-0 — Floor and wall covering work
- 45431000-7 — Tiling work
- 45432000-4 — Floor-laying and covering, wall-covering, and wallpapering work
- 45440000-3 — Painting and glazing work
- 45441000-0 — Glazing work
- 45442000-7 — Application of protective coatings
- 45443000-4 — Facade work
- 45450000-6 — Other building completion work
- 45451000-3 — Decoration work
- 45452000-0 — Exterior cleaning work for buildings
- 45453000-7 — Overhaul and refurbishment work
- 45453100-8 — Refurbishment work
45500000-2 — Hire of Construction and Civil Engineering Machinery and Equipment
- 45510000-5 — Hire of cranes
- 45520000-8 — Hire of earthmoving equipment
Division 71: Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services
Division 71 covers professional services that precede, accompany, or follow physical construction works:
71200000-0 — Architectural and Related Services
- 71210000-3 — Advisory architectural services
- 71220000-6 — Architectural design services
- 71221000-3 — Architectural services for buildings
- 71222000-0 — Architectural services for outdoor areas
- 71223000-7 — Architectural services for building extensions
- 71240000-2 — Architectural, engineering, and planning services
- 71242000-6 — Project and design preparation, estimation of costs
- 71243000-3 — Draft plans (systems and integration)
- 71244000-0 — Cost calculation, cost monitoring
- 71245000-7 — Approval plans, working drawings, and specifications
- 71246000-4 — Determination and listing of quantities in construction
- 71247000-1 — Supervision of building work
- 71248000-8 — Supervision of project and documentation
- 71250000-5 — Architectural, engineering, and surveying services
71300000-1 — Engineering Services
- 71310000-4 — Consultative engineering and construction services
- 71311000-1 — Civil engineering consultancy services
- 71312000-8 — Structural engineering consultancy services
- 71313000-5 — Environmental engineering consultancy services
- 71314000-2 — Energy and related services
- 71315000-9 — Building services
- 71316000-6 — Telecommunication engineering services
- 71317000-3 — Hazard protection and control consultancy services
- 71318000-0 — Advisory and consultative engineering services
- 71320000-7 — Engineering design services
- 71321000-4 — Engineering design for mechanical and electrical installations for buildings
- 71322000-1 — Engineering design for civil engineering works
- 71323000-8 — Engineering design for industrial process and production
- 71324000-5 — Quantity surveying services
- 71325000-2 — Foundation design services
- 71326000-9 — Ancillary building services
- 71327000-6 — Load-bearing structure design services
- 71330000-0 — Miscellaneous engineering services
- 71334000-8 — Mechanical and electrical engineering services
- 71335000-5 — Engineering studies
- 71336000-2 — Engineering support services
- 71337000-9 — Corrosion engineering services
71400000-2 — Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
- 71410000-5 — Urban planning
- 71420000-8 — Landscape architectural services
- 71421000-5 — Landscape gardening services
71500000-3 — Construction-Related Services
- 71510000-6 — Site-investigation services
- 71520000-9 — Construction supervision services
- 71521000-6 — Construction-site supervision services
- 71530000-2 — Construction consultancy services
- 71540000-5 — Construction management services
- 71541000-2 — Construction project management services
- 71550000-8 — Blacksmith services
71600000-4 — Technical Testing, Analysis, and Consultancy
- 71610000-7 — Composition and purity testing and analysis services
- 71620000-0 — Analysis services
- 71630000-3 — Technical inspection and testing services
- 71631000-0 — Technical inspection services
Facilities Management
Ongoing building operation and maintenance crosses construction and services boundaries:
- 50700000-2 — Repair and maintenance of building installations
- 50710000-5 — Repair and maintenance of electrical and mechanical building installations
- 50711000-2 — Repair and maintenance of electrical building installations
- 50712000-9 — Repair and maintenance of mechanical building installations
- 50800000-3 — Miscellaneous repair and maintenance services
- 90910000-9 — Cleaning services
- 90911000-6 — Accommodation, building, and window cleaning services
- 98341000-5 — Accommodation services (caretaking)
Practical Tips for Construction Suppliers
- General contractors should monitor 45200000-9 (works for complete or partial construction) as their primary code, supplemented by specific building types relevant to their focus (e.g., 45215140-0 for hospital construction)
- Specialist trades (electrical, HVAC, plumbing) should focus on the 45300000-0 family and combine with 50700000-2 for maintenance contracts
- Architecture firms should monitor 71200000-0 and its subcodes, plus 71540000-5 for project management opportunities
- Engineering consultancies should focus on 71300000-1 and subcodes, particularly 71311000-1 (civil) and 71312000-8 (structural)
- Use 45453000-7 for renovation and refurbishment — a growing category as governments prioritise energy-efficiency retrofitting of existing buildings
- Monitor both 45 and 71: Large projects often issue separate contracts for design (division 71) and construction (division 45). Tracking both gives you full pipeline visibility