MKB Juristen drafts custom legal documents
It is best not to cobble together or copy important contracts, terms and conditions, and other legal documents yourself. We help entrepreneurs on a budget with customized legal solutions, clear costs upfront, and practical explanations.
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Having general terms and conditions for a plumbing company drafted by a specialized SME lawyer typically costs €250 to €750 for a custom-made set, and the process takes about one to two weeks. You provide your rates, warranty periods, and working methods; the lawyer translates this into clauses that hold up against the most important risk points — water damage, warranty, and consumer regulations. Below is what you get, what it costs, and when doing it yourself is sufficient.
The short answer
- Costs: €250 – €750 for a custom-made set with an SME lawyer.
- Turnaround time: approximately 1 – 2 weeks, including a revision round.
- What you provide: rates, call-out charges, warranty periods, working method, customer type.
- What you get: tested clauses for water damage, warranty, payment, and consumer protection.
- Alternative: write a draft yourself and have only the risk clauses checked.
Having general terms and conditions drafted for a plumbing company: the process
It proceeds in a few clear steps:
- Intake: you discuss your working method — installation, repair, emergency work — and your customer type (consumer, business, or both).
- Submission: you provide your rates: call-out charges, hourly rate, rush and evening surcharges, warranty periods on labor and materials.
- Concept: the lawyer drafts a set of clauses tailored to your situation.
- Correction round: you read along, ask questions, and make adjustments where necessary.
- Delivery: you receive the final set plus advice regarding the handover.
What determines the price?
- Standard versus custom: a slightly modified basic set is cheaper than a fully custom one.
- Consumer and business: two customer types require more provisions and therefore more work.
- Special risks: frequent urgent work or large projects require more careful liability and payment clauses.
- Correction rounds: one round is often included; extra rounds may apply.
Expect to pay €250 – €750 for an average plumbing company. That is a one-time investment for a set you will use for years.
Why having it drafted pays off
The profit lies in two components that you often fail to get right yourself:
- Liability for water damage: a single leak can lead to substantial consequential damage. A lawyer limits your liability realistically and links it to your insurance, so that you do not have to pay the full amount.
- Consumer rules: for private individuals, the black list (Art. 6:236 BW) and grey list (Art. 6:237 BW) apply. A clause listed on either of these lists is invalid — sometimes without you realizing it. The legal expert assesses your set against these rules.
A plumber who pasted a kit from the internet himself discovered after a water damage claim that his limitation of liability with regard to the consumer-customer was invalid and was held liable for the full consequential damages. That risk does not outweigh a few hundred euros upfront.
When you don't need a lawyer
For purely commercial agreements, you can handle things perfectly well on your own:
- You determine your own call-out charges and rush surcharges; there is no legal basis for this.
- Your payment term and down payment percentage are commercial choices.
- If you work exclusively for regular business clients who impose their own purchasing terms, it is primarily about alignment, not a new set.
A middle ground is popular: write a draft yourself with your own rates and working method, and have only the liability and warranty clauses and the consumer screening reviewed by a lawyer. That keeps costs down and covers the risk precisely.
What to look for when making a choice
- Industry knowledge: does the lawyer choose installation and repair companies with an eye for water damage and emergency work?
- Customization: will you really get your rates and terms included, or a standard text with your name on top?
- Handing over: do you receive advice on how to hand over the terms and conditions for urgent work to the customer so that they are valid?
- Maintenance: how do you handle changes when the law or your rates change?
Honest recommendation
Having a contract drafted is worthwhile if you work for consumers and handle emergency and repair work — that is precisely where the water damage risk and consumer protection lie, which you would struggle to get right yourself. If you work purely commercially with regular clients who use their own terms and conditions, you often do not need a new set and coordination suffices. If you fall somewhere in between, choose the middle ground: write a draft yourself and have only the risk clauses and the consumer screening checked. This way, you pay for the part that really matters and keep costs low.
Read more: what are general terms and conditions for a plumbing company and drafting them yourself: what belongs in them. Have it arranged immediately: general terms and conditions for a plumbing company.
Frequently Asked Questions
With a specialized SME lawyer, the cost for a custom-made set is typically €250 to €750. The price depends on whether you serve only consumers or also business clients, the amount of urgent and project work you handle, and the number of revision rounds. It is a one-time investment for a set that you will use for years.
Usually one to two weeks. After a brief intake and the provision of your rates and warranty periods, the lawyer prepares a draft, a round of revisions follows, and you receive the final set with advice regarding delivery.
Your working method (installation, repair, emergency work), your customer type (consumer, business, or both), and your rates: call-out charges, hourly rate, emergency and evening surcharges, and warranty periods on labor and materials. The more specific you provide, the better the set will align with your practice.
Free samples rarely adequately cover the water damage and consequential damage risks associated with plumbing work and sometimes contain clauses that are on the grey or blacklist for consumers and are therefore invalid. After a claim, it may turn out that your limitation of liability does not work — in which case you will be liable for the full amount of the damage.
Yes, and that is often the smartest compromise. Write a draft yourself with your own rates and working method, and have only the liability and warranty clauses and the consumer screening reviewed by a lawyer. That way, you only pay for the part that really matters legally.
On industry knowledge (an eye for water damage and emergency work), on genuine customization instead of a standard text with your name on it, on advice on how to validly present the terms and conditions for emergency work, and on how changes are maintained if the law or your rates change.
For purely commercial choices — call-out charges, rush surcharges, payment terms, and down payment — you can decide for yourself. And if you work exclusively for regular business clients who impose their own purchasing terms, it is mainly a matter of coordination, and you often do not need a new set.
