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Insurance for asbestos, mould and hazardous material remediation in Germany

Removing asbestos, mineral fibres, PAH or mould from buildings means working with hazardous material that can make people ill for years. A torn airlock, dust carried out on clothing or a wrongly disposed panel, and a whole building has to be cleaned. This page explains the duties for remediation in Germany, which insurance asbestos and mould firms need and what it costs.

Insurance for asbestos and mould remediation

The question almost everyone asks first

Does my public liability cover asbestos work at all?

Only if asbestos remediation is expressly written into the policy. Many wordings exclude damage from asbestos and other hazardous substances because the effects last a long time. Get the inclusion confirmed in writing, with environmental cover and a limit large enough for cleaning a whole building.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Fibre release

    An airlock tears and fibres reach the stairwell. The building is closed, measured and cleaned.

  2. 02

    Carry over

    Contaminated clothing or equipment brings dust into vehicles, stores or other sites.

  3. 03

    Mould comes back

    Weeks after remediation, mould returns; tenants claim rent reductions and damaged furniture.

  4. 04

    Disposal

    Hazardous waste ends up in the wrong place and the authority orders follow up work and fines.

  5. 05

    Equipment

    Negative pressure units, air cleaners and meters are expensive and fail mid job.

  6. 06

    Staff health

    Respirators, heat in protective suits and hard work take their toll. A sick day hits a small firm hard.

Risk radar
Liability 5Fire and water 3Theft 3Cyber 2Downtime 3Health 5

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Pays for injury, property damage and clean up costs from your work, but only with asbestos and hazardous material work expressly included and environmental cover.

Strongly advised

Car insurance

Compulsory for every vehicle; vans carrying equipment and waste need the right use stated in the policy.

Electronic equipment

For negative pressure units, air monitoring and drying equipment that fails through defects or short circuits.

Depends on the business

Business contents

Replaces stores, protective gear and equipment after fire, burglary or water damage.

What it costs: example prices

Insurers rate remediation firms strictly. What counts is the type of substance, risk level, turnover, staff and the limit for clean up and environmental damage.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liabilityMould remediation without asbestos, two people, €3 million coverabout €500 to €1,000 a year
Business liabilityLicensed asbestos and hazardous material removal, five staff, €5 million with environmental coverabout €1,200 to €4,000 a year
Electronic equipmentNegative pressure units and measuring equipment worth €60,000about €400 to €1,000 a year
Business legal expensesBusiness with contract, employment and administrative legal expensesabout €500 to €1,100 a year
Car insuranceVan up to 3.5 tonnes, liability and partial coverabout €700 to €1,400 a year

For comparison: Liability cover for an asbestos firm often costs less a year than cleaning a single contaminated stairwell.

Guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026.

Not every insurer covers asbestos removal; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Mould

For: small mould remediation firm without asbestos

  • Business liability
  • Car insurance
  • Electronic equipment

Together about €1,600 to €3,400 a year

Request this package

02

Asbestos

For: licensed asbestos and hazardous material removal with staff

  • Business liability
  • Car insurance
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business legal expenses

Together about €2,800 to €7,500 a year

Request this package

03

All round

For: remediation business with several crews, stores and fleet

  • Business liability
  • Car insurance
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business legal expenses
  • Business contents
  • Business interruption

Together individual, usually from about €7,000 a year

Request this package

The worst day in remediation

Six claims asbestos and mould remediation firms really see, all on one day. Click through and see who pays.

Damage so far€60,600
  1. The airlock sheeting tears and asbestos fibres get into the stairwell. The whole building is measured and cleaned.

    €38,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  2. The negative pressure unit fails after a short circuit and work stops.

    €4,500 · Paid by: Electronic equipment

  3. Removing a ceiling panel, a piece falls onto a tenant's car outside.

    €3,200 · Paid by: Business liability

  4. The equipment van is involved in a rear end collision on the way to site.

    €7,800 · Paid by: Car insurance

  5. A landlord claims damages because the mould came back and refuses to pay the invoice.

    €5,600 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

  6. The authority queries a notification that arrived too late for one site.

    €1,500 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €60,600

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Have asbestos and hazardous material work expressly written into your public liability.
  2. Check for environmental cover and a limit for clean up and decontamination costs.
  3. Keep expertise certificates, approval and notifications up to date; insurers ask for them.
  4. Document clearance measurements and handovers; in a dispute they are your best evidence.
  5. Insure negative pressure and measuring equipment under electronics cover.
  6. Tell the insurer every substance you handle: asbestos, mineral fibres, PAH, PCB and mould.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We find insurers that cover remediation

Not every insurer takes asbestos firms. As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert approaches those that do and compares inclusions and limits.

We read the small print

Hazardous substance exclusions are often far back in the wording. We look for them before a claim does.

We know claims work

In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves and know how reports and costs need to be documented.

Family run since 1989

Our advice is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

What insurance does an asbestos removal firm need?

Public liability with asbestos work expressly included and environmental cover, plus motor,

electronics and legal expenses insurance.

Do I need permission for asbestos work in Germany?

Asbestos work must be notified to the authority at least one week before it starts.

High risk work needs an approval under § 11a of the Hazardous Substances Ordinance,

valid for at most six years.

How long is the expertise certificate valid?

Six years from issue.

A recognised refresher course extends it by six years each time.

Is mould remediation as hard to insure?

No, without asbestos the rating is usually cheaper.

Still name every substance so the policy fits.

What does liability cover cost?

From our quoting work, about €500 to €1,000 a year for mould only and about €1,200 to €4,000 with

asbestos.

Are my employees covered for accidents at work?

Yes, employees are insured by law through the Berufsgenossenschaft (statutory accident insurer).

As the owner you can join voluntarily.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Asbestos removal

The recommended covers are ticked.

Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Car insurance in Germany (liability, partial and fully comprehensive)

Most precise with the HSN and TSN codes from the registration document

Business liability insurance in Germany (Betriebshaftpflicht)

For example electrical installation in homes, café with outdoor seating, online shop for furniture

For example work at clients' sites, own products, exports to the US, parent company abroad

Business legal expenses insurance in Germany (Firmenrechtsschutz)

For example plumbing business, tax practice, online shop for electronics

Existing disputes cannot be insured, but knowing about them helps us advise you

Electronic equipment insurance in Germany (Elektronikversicherung)

For example single expensive devices, extra costs, practice downtime

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

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Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

Boat insurance

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated