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Insurance broker / Business types / Transport and logistics

Insurance for car parks, underground garages and parking operators in Germany

In a car park hundreds of cars, pedestrians, barriers, ramps and pay machines meet every day. A slippery floor, a barrier closing too early, water coming through the ceiling: the claims end up with the operator. If you run car parks, underground garages or parking lots in Germany, German law applies. This page shows how parking operators protect themselves and what it costs.

Insurance for car park operators in Germany

The question almost everyone asks first

Are we liable if a customer's car is damaged or stolen in our car park?

That depends on the contract. If you only rent out a space, you are mainly liable for the safe condition of the building and equipment, for example a barrier that comes down on a car. If you take the car or the keys into your care, as with valet parking, a custody contract arises with much wider liability. Your public liability policy should then expressly include damage to customers' vehicles in your care.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Pedestrian falls

    Ice on the top deck, oil on the ramp, a dark stairwell: customers who fall claim pain and suffering and lost earnings.

  2. 02

    Barriers and doors

    The barrier comes down on a car roof, the roller door lowers onto a van.

  3. 03

    Falling parts

    Spalling concrete, lamps or signs fall onto cars or people.

  4. 04

    Water and fire

    A car fire or a burst pipe damages ceilings, concrete and equipment, and repairs take weeks.

  5. 05

    Pay machines broken open

    Pay machines are broken into, and cash and equipment are gone.

  6. 06

    System failures and attacks

    A power surge or an attack on the parking system shuts down entry, payment and number plate recognition.

Risk radar
Liability 5Fire and water 4Theft 3Cyber 3Downtime 4Health 3

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Covers injury and property damage from running the site and keeping it safe, from falls to barriers; with valet parking, including damage to customers' vehicles in your care.

Strongly advised

Commercial buildings

For your own car park against fire, water damage, storm and hail; car fires are the big threat to the structure.

Electronic equipment

For barriers, pay machines, cameras, number plate recognition and charging points against power surges, vandalism and operating errors.

Business interruption

Replaces lost parking fees if the car park stays closed after a fire or water damage.

Depends on the business

Business contents

For cash in machines, the booth and furniture against burglary and robbery.

Cyber insurance

For parking systems with app, number plate recognition and card payment.

What it costs: example prices

Insurers price by number of spaces, construction, valet service, charging points and claims history. An underground garage with a car lift costs more than an open lot with a barrier.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liabilityParking lot with 150 spaces and barrier, €5 million coverabout €600 to €1,500 a year
Business liabilityCar park with 500 spaces and valet service, custody damage includedabout €3,000 to €8,000 a year
Commercial buildingsCar park with €5 million rebuild valueabout €3,500 to €9,000 a year
Electronic equipmentBarriers, pay machines and cameras worth €150,000about €1,200 to €3,000 a year
Business interruptionCar park with €800,000 annual turnoverabout €800 to €2,000 a year

For comparison: Public liability for a parking lot with a barrier costs about as much a year as two or three spaces bring in over a month.

Guide figures from our quoting practice, excluding German insurance premium tax,

as of October 2026.

Insurers publish no tariff examples for car parks because they rate each site individually.

The duty to keep items in custody is set out in section 688 of the German Civil Code.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Parking lot

For: Open parking lot with barrier and pay machine

  • Business liability
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business contents

Together about €1,200 to €3,000 a year

Request this package

02

Car park

For: Own multi storey car park or underground garage with staff

  • Business liability
  • Commercial buildings
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business interruption

Together about €7,000 to €18,000 a year

Request this package

03

Operator

For: Operators of several sites with valet service, app and charging points

  • Business liability
  • Commercial buildings
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business interruption
  • Cyber insurance
  • Business legal expenses

Together individual, usually from about €20,000 a year

Request this package

The worst day in the car park

Six things car park operators really go through, all on one Saturday before Christmas. Tap through and see who pays.

Damage so far€162,700
  1. A customer slips on the icy top deck and breaks her wrist.

    €9,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  2. The exit barrier closes too early and dents the roof of an SUV.

    €3,200 · Paid by: Business liability

  3. A thunderstorm surge knocks out barriers and pay machines.

    €14,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment

  4. A car catches fire on level 2, damaging the ceiling and cables.

    €85,000 · Paid by: Commercial buildings

  5. After the fire the car park stays closed for three weeks, and the takings are lost.

    €45,000 · Paid by: Business interruption

  6. During the night two pay machines are broken open.

    €6,500 · Paid by: Business contents

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €162,700

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Record gritting, cleaning and inspection rounds; in a dispute about safety duties, proof decides.
  2. If you offer valet parking, have damage to customers' vehicles in your care included expressly.
  3. Insure cash in machines with a sufficient limit and empty them regularly.
  4. Check buildings and equipment cover after installing new charging points.
  5. Base business interruption cover on a realistic repair time after a car fire, often several weeks.
  6. If you lease the site, clarify who insures the building and equipment.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We settle the liability question first

Space rental or custody, lease or ownership: this decides what cover you need. As brokers we clarify it before comparing.

Building, equipment and interruption together

We match buildings, electronics and business interruption so that no gap remains after a fire.

Several insurers compared

We approach several insurers and lay out cover and excesses side by side, in English if you prefer.

Family run, brokering since 1989

Norman Nammert arranges your cover as an insurance broker. It is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is insurance compulsory for car parks in Germany?

Not by law.

Lease and operator contracts almost always require public liability cover.

Are we liable for theft from parked cars?

With plain space rental, usually not for the contents.

If you take the car or keys into your care, liability is wider,

so your public liability should include custody damage.

What does public liability cost for a parking lot?

For a lot with 150 spaces and a barrier about €600 to €1,500 a year;

a large car park with valet service pays considerably more.

Who pays if a car burns in the car park?

Buildings insurance is there for the damage to the structure,

business interruption cover for lost takings.

Whether the vehicle owner is liable is checked by the insurer afterwards.

Are barriers and pay machines insured?

Against power surges, vandalism and operating errors under electronics insurance,

against burglary under contents insurance.

Do we need cyber insurance?

If parking runs through an app, number plate recognition and card payment, yes:

an attack can halt entry and payment for days.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Car park

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

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

Commercial buildings insurance in Germany (Gebäudeversicherung)

From a valuation or your current policy

For example flood cover, solar panels, loss of rent, planned refurbishment

Business interruption insurance in Germany (Betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung)

For example metalworking with eight staff, restaurant, dental practice

Turnover minus materials and goods purchased, your tax adviser will know

For example key machinery, flood, long delivery times

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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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