Car body and paint shops in Germany have other people's cars in the unit every day, along with solvents, paint and a heated spray booth. A fire rarely hits only your own equipment; it takes the client cars with it. Add overspray, mistakes on the jig and accidents on test drives. Here is what a business should insure and what it costs.
Who pays if a client's car burns in my spray booth?
Your contents insurance only replaces your own equipment. For the client's car you need cover for vehicles in your care, usually the motor trade policy with workshop risk or a goods in care extension to your liability policy. Without either, the loss stays with you. The limit should cover every car that can be in your unit and yard at once.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Booth fire
Solvents, filters full of paint dust and a burner: a booth fire spreads quickly to the unit and parked cars.
02
Overspray
Spraying outside or with the door open lands paint mist on cars and walls nearby.
03
Faulty work
Wrong shade, runs, dust inclusions or panels pulled out of shape on the jig: the part has to be redone.
04
Test drives
An accident on a red plate drive or while delivering a client's car.
05
Downtime
Without the booth there is no paint work, while wages and leases keep running.
06
Health
Isocyanates, sanding dust and noise strain lungs, skin and hearing over the years.
Lungs, skin and back are under heavy strain in paint work.
What it costs: example prices
For body and paint shops, the booth, the number of client cars in your care and turnover drive the premium. Shops doing accident repairs for insurers usually need higher limits.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Paint shop with two staff, €3 million limit, with worked on items
about €500 to €1,200 a year
Fleet insurance
Motor trade policy with one red plate and workshop risk for ten client cars
about €1,200 to €3,500 a year
Business contents
Booth, mixing system and stock worth €200,000
about €900 to €2,200 a year
Business interruption
Up to twelve months' downtime, €600,000 turnover
about €600 to €1,500 a year
Machinery breakdown
Booth with burner and jig worth €150,000
about €700 to €1,600 a year
For comparison: Liability and workshop risk for a small paint shop cost about as much a year as painting two bumpers and a bonnet.
All premiums are guide values from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax,
as of October 2026.
Minimum motor limits are set in the Compulsory Insurance Act,
red plate rules in section 41 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance.
Six things body and paint shops really go through, all on one Wednesday. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€205,200
Driving into the unit, a technician scrapes a client's car on the door frame.
€2,400 · Paid by: Fleet insurance
The new door does not match and the client wants the whole side painted.
€1,800 · Paid by: Business liability
Overspray drifts across the yard onto three cars next door.
€4,500 · Paid by: Business liability
A rear end collision on a red plate delivery drive.
€7,500 · Paid by: Fleet insurance
The booth burner fails and the part takes two weeks to arrive.
€9,000 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
A filter fire in the booth spreads to the unit. Two client cars and the equipment are destroyed.
€180,000 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €205,200
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Insure client cars in your care with a limit for your busiest day of the year.
Include worked on items in your liability policy, or you pay for failed paint jobs yourself.
Change booth filters on schedule and keep a log; insurers ask for it.
Store paint and solvents in an approved cabinet or room away from the booth.
Check business interruption limits: a new booth often has long delivery times.
Confirm that collection and delivery drives with client cars are covered.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We know the goods in care gap
Between contents, liability and motor cover, client cars often fall through. As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares the wording of several insurers and closes that gap.
We know paint claims
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including paint and gelcoat. We know which reports and photos an insurer wants.
Business and personal
Unit, booth, red plates and your personal cover with one contact.
Broker since 1989
A family business, not tied to any insurer. Our service is free for you; the insurer pays our commission. We advise in English.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Which insurance is compulsory for a paint shop in Germany?
Motor liability for your own vehicles and red plates.
Public liability is not required by law,
but without it you pay every claim by clients and neighbours yourself.
Are client cars in my unit insured?
Only with cover for vehicles in your care, for example workshop risk in a motor trade policy.
Contents insurance only pays for your own equipment.
Who pays if the shade does not match?
Putting it right is your own warranty work.
Damage to other parts is covered by liability only if worked on items are included.
What does insurance cost for a paint shop?
In our quoting work a small shop with liability,
workshop risk and contents pays about €2,500 to €6,000 a year.
Do red plates need their own insurance?
Yes.
Under section 41 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance,
motor liability must be in place for red plate drives;
it is usually part of the motor trade policy.
Is business interruption cover worth it?
Especially for paint shops: without the booth there is hardly any turnover,
and replacing it can take weeks or months.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Body and paint shop
The recommended covers are ticked.
Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, in English.
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