Construction course 2025: everything you need to know (for North, Central and South regions)

The 2025 construction section is around the corner. In this blog, you can read when the construction trade is, whether it is mandatory, how you can prepare and how to use this period smartly.

What is the construction trade?

The construction trade is the period in the summer when a large part of the construction sector comes to a standstill. Many employees in the construction sector then take time off, which also means that projects temporarily come to a standstill. The term comes from the time when almost the entire country had a vacation in construction at the same time.

Why is the construction industry is important?

The construction profession provides peace of mind in a sector where there is normally a lot of time pressure. It gives construction professionals the opportunity to recharge. For employers, it often means less production, but also less staff planning. It is a fixed time to take into account in your annual planning.

Is the construction profession required in 2025?

No, the construction trade is not required by law. However, there are agreements in collective agreements that determine when companies close or staff must take a vacation. In some regions or companies, it is therefore common or even necessary to take a vacation during the construction trade. That's why you should always check the agreements within your organization or collective labor agreement.

When is the construction section 2025? (construction section 2025 week numbers)

Below are the planned construction dates by region and the week numbers of construction section 2025:

• South Region: week 30, 31, 32 (July 21 to August 8, 2025)
• Central Region: week 32, 33, 34 (August 4 to August 22, 2025)
• North Region: week 31, 32, 33 (July 28 to August 15, 2025)

Note: these are guidelines from the construction industry. Not every company follows exactly these periods. In addition, 2025 is a lustrum year. This means that May 5, 2025 is a paid holiday in construction & infrastructure, as stated in article 3.4.1 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Construction & Infrastructure.

📚 Read more about the holidays of 2025.

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Different regions in the Netherlands

For the 2025 construction sector, the Netherlands is divided into three regions: North, Central and South. This distribution determines when the vacation periods fall in different parts of the country. Below you can see which provinces and municipalities fall under by region.

North Region

Provinces and municipalities:

• Drenthe: all municipalities
• Flevoland: all municipalities, except Zeewolde
• Friesland: all municipalities
• Gelderland: only Hattem
• Groningen: all municipalities
• North Holland: all municipalities
• Overijssel: all municipalities
• Utrecht: only Eemnes and the area of the former municipality of Abcoude

Central Region

Provinces and municipalities:

• Flevoland: Zeewolde only
• Gelderland: Aalten, Apeldoorn, Barneveld, Berkelland, Bronckhorst, Brummen, Buren, Culemborg, Doetinchem, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Harderwijk, Heerde, Lochem, Montferland (except Didam), Neder-Betuwe (except Dodewaard), Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Oost-Gelre, Oude IJsselstreek, Putten, Scherpenzeel, Tiel, Voorst, Wageningen, West Betuwe, Winterswijk, Zutphen
• Noord-Brabant: Altena only (except the Hank and Dussen cores)
• Utrecht: all municipalities except Eemnes and the area of the former municipality of Abcoude
• South Holland: all municipalities

South Region

Provinces and municipalities:

• Gelderland: Arnhem, Berg en Dal, Beuningen, Doesburg, Druten, Duiven, Heumen, Lingewaard, Maasdriel, Montferland (only Didam), Neder-Betuwe (Dodewaard only), Nijmegen, Overbetuwe, Renlum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Rijnwaarden, Westervoort, West Maas and Waal, Wijchen, Zaltbommel, Zevenaar
• Limburg: all municipalities
• Noord-Brabant: all municipalities except Woudrichem and the cores of Sleeuwijk, Nieuwendijk and Werkendam (municipality of Altena)
• Zeeland: all municipalities

Preparing for the construction trade: you need to arrange this

Good preparation is essential. This includes:
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• Complete schedules on time
• Communicating with customers about work breaks
• Check who is on vacation and when
• Schedule sufficient material and staff for after the construction trade

The role of administration during the construction trade

During the construction trade, work on the construction site has largely stopped. For administrative teams, this often means a unique opportunity: fewer distractions, less hustle and bustle, but time to put things in order. It is precisely this period that is ideal for streamlining the administration and looking ahead.

1. Time for overdue work

When the daily hustle and bustle stops, there is room to tackle overdue tasks, such as:
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• Update time records from previous weeks or months
• Processing outstanding claims and invoices
• Update project statuses and check for completeness
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📚 Read about this How time tracking improves work-life balance.
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2. Check leave and schedule

The summer period is the time to take a good look at staff planning:
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• Is all leave entered and approved correctly?
• Are the leave balances up to date?
• Can you get a make preliminary planning for Q3 and Q4?
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A clear administration helps you to start up smoothly again immediately after the construction trade.

3. Smart planning

Tools like TimeChimp are perfect for bringing order to the chaos during this period. You can:
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• See in our overview which hours have not been booked yet
• See who has been or is still on leave and when
• Plan ahead based on current project data
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This way, you can use the construction profession not only for rest, but also for an overview. And that pays off as soon as the hustle and bustle starts again.

📚 Read all about this how to plan a successful project.‍

💡 Tip: Use your time wisely with a tool. With the time registration solution, you have a single overview of where everyone is in terms of hours, planning and leave. This makes planning after the construction trade a lot easier.

Tips for vacationing during the construction section 2025

• Book on time: many Dutch people have time off during this period
• Plan vacations within the team smartly, especially with smaller companies
• Take into account peak traffic in popular regions

Conclusion

The 2025 construction industry is an important period in the construction sector. Not mandatory, but often decisive for vacations and schedules. Use this period not only for rest, but also to organize your administration and time registration. With TimeChimp, you can keep everything organized, even when it's a little quieter.
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👉 Want to save time on time registration and project planning in the construction industry? Try TimeChimp free for 14 days now.

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