Latest PMI data from IHS Markit showed construction work in Germany rising at the fastest rate for seven months in November, driven by an upturn in housing activity.
There was also a renewed increase in inflows of new orders during the month, which in turn contributed to an acceleration in job creation.
More worryingly, however, the downturn in commercial activity deepened, while firms' expectations for building work in a year's time remained subdued.
The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit Germany Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 52.5 in November, up from October's 51.5 and its highest reading since April.
The index has now risen in each of the past three months to signal a sustained rebound following August's recent low.
As in previous months, the rise in overall construction activity in November was driven by housebuilding, which recorded its steepest increase since April.
The drag on overall activity from civil engineering meanwhile eased, as work in this construction category fell only marginally and at the slowest rate in the current eight-month sequence of decrease.
Commercial was the worst-performing construction subsector in November, having seen its rate of decline quicken for the second month in a row.
The drop in commercial activity was the second-fastest since March 2013.
Amid reports of greater opportunities to tender, constructors recorded a rise in new orders for the first time in seven months in November.
This pickup in demand was reflected in an acceleration in the rate of job creation across the building sector to the fastest since April, as well as a renewed increase in the use of sub-contractors.
Nevertheless, the pace of employment growth was still below the average over the current sequence of increase that began in July 2015.
Constructors raised their purchasing activity for the third month in a row in November, albeit with the rate of growth easing compared to that seen in October.
There were signs of increased strain on supplier capacity, as lead times on inputs lengthened to the greatest extent for five months.
Input prices nevertheless rose more slowly, with the rate of inflation ticking down to the weakest in almost four years.
Firms reported a drop in steel prices weighing on overall cost increases.
Adding to the picture, latest data showed the slowest rise in sub-contractor rates since January 2017.
November's survey showed ongoing concerns among constructors about the outlook for activity over the year ahead.
Firms reported worries about the health of the economy and the implications for commercial activity in particular, while others also highlighted skill shortages as a factor that could restrict growth.
Expectations remained among the lowest over the past four years. ■