Contractual penalty or bonus for deadlines

In Germany, freedom of contract applies. You can put anything in. With the risk, the developer does not want you as a customer if the demands become too "severe". In life, you cannot insure against all risks.

Some people come up with ideas. Be glad if he "accidentally" finishes earlier. For all other builders, I am happy to provide my IBAN if they really want to get rid of money. :D :D:D

So we have a ten-month construction time guarantee for our bungalow. If this is exceeded and it is the construction company's fault, we get €200 for each day exceeded. On the other hand, there are no bonuses for fast building. However, since we are currently very satisfied with the construction, we will probably not insist on this in case of a few weeks' delay. We do not incur very high costs (just rent of €550). That is all bearable. Furthermore, the construction company has also accommodated us in other matters. Above all, he kept the fixed price guarantee, which was not unimportant to us :)

This should be double-checked by carefully reading the passage again, because €200/day is no small matter for the contractor.

In my contract, it also states that I get €50/day. However, it also says that everything for which the contractor, i.e. the general contractor, is not responsible does not count towards the construction time guarantee. Drying times, for example.

It would be interesting in this context whether he can also attribute delivery bottlenecks for materials to force majeure?

This should be checked again by reading the passage exactly, 200 EUR/day is no small matter for the contractor.

In my contract it also states that I get 50 EUR/day. However, it also says that everything the contractor, i.e. the general contractor, is not responsible for does not count towards the construction time guarantee. Drying times, for example.

It would be interesting in this context whether he can also attribute supply bottlenecks of materials to force majeure?

Drying times are completely normal in the construction process and must be taken into account in the construction period. In that respect, this is absolute nonsense in my layman's opinion.

And what about bonuses for the contractor if he is faster?

I have slightly modified your suggestion:

A general contractor nowadays should actually give every client a checkbook containing three checks for one change ticket each; if returned unused, there is a discount, and each additional one costs an extra thousand on top of the actual change costs (or even two thousand extra if the respective construction phase has already begun).

Drying times are completely normal in the construction process and must be factored into the construction time. In this regard, that is absolute nonsense in my layman's opinion.

That is partly correct, yes, I remembered it incorrectly. Only the drying times that must be observed before flooring and painting works are excluded. This means that if the house is built over the winter and then still has to dry for 4 weeks, usually with the help of construction dryers, this does not count as construction time guarantee.

The rest remains. Force majeure, bad weather, etc. So if in summer at 40°C no masonry work can be done for 4 weeks because the mortar may only be processed up to 30°C, that does not count, and so on.

In the end, the general contractor is always right here because no one goes to court over a few thousand euros...