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Insurance for dog groomers, grooming salons and mobile groomers in Germany

A dog on the grooming table does not keep still just because you ask. One jerk and the scissors catch an ear; one moment at an open door and a client's dog is out on the street. This page is for English speaking groomers working in Germany and explains which insurance covers this, where standard policies fall short and what it costs.

Insurance for dog groomers in Germany

The question almost everyone asks first

Will my business liability pay if I nick a client's dog while clipping?

Not automatically. Damage to animals you have in your care and are working on is excluded in many business liability policies. It has to be included expressly, with a limit per animal that matches vet bills. A stitched cut on an ear quickly costs a few hundred euros, surgery after a fall from the table far more.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    A cut while clipping

    The dog flinches and the scissors catch the ear or skin. Vet, stitches, follow up and an unhappy owner.

  2. 02

    Fall from the table

    A moment without the loop and the dog jumps, injuring a leg. X rays and surgery get expensive.

  3. 03

    Escapes

    A client's dog slips through the door at pick up and runs in front of a car or bike.

  4. 04

    Bites in the salon

    A waiting dog snaps at another customer or their dog while you are supervising.

  5. 05

    Your own injuries

    Bites to the hand, back strain from lifting big dogs, skin problems from shampoos. No hands, no income.

  6. 06

    Water and equipment

    Bath, high velocity dryer, clippers: a burst hose or a fire closes the salon.

Risk radar
Liability 4Fire and water 3Theft 2Cyber 2Downtime 3Health 3

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Covers harm to customers and third parties and, if included, damage to the dogs you groom, including the supervisor's liability.

Strongly advised

Business contents

Replaces hydraulic table, bath, dryers, clippers and stock after fire, water damage or burglary.

Depends on the business

Business interruption

Pays running costs and lost profit if the salon has to close after property damage.

Car insurance

For a mobile grooming van: the conversion and commercial use must be in the policy.

What it costs: example prices

Premiums are modest. What matters most is whether damage to client dogs is included and at what limit, how many dogs you groom a day and whether you work in a shop or a van.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liabilityOwner run salon, €3 million limit, damage to client dogs up to €2,500about €120 to €280 a year
Business liabilitySalon with two employees and higher limit for damage to animalsabout €250 to €500 a year
Business contentsFittings and equipment worth €25,000about €100 to €250 a year
Accident insuranceOwner aged 35, €100,000 base sumabout €120 to €300 a year
Car insuranceConverted van as mobile grooming salon, liability and comprehensiveabout €700 to €1,600 a year

For comparison: Liability cover for a small grooming salon costs about as much per year as two or three full grooms of a large doodle.

All values are guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax,

as of October 2026.

The linked sources support the legal statements on this page, not the prices.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Solo salon

For: Groomer with a small salon of her own, no staff

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Accident insurance

Together about €350 to €800 a year

Request this package

02

Mobile

For: Mobile grooming in a converted van

  • Business liability
  • Car insurance
  • Accident insurance

Together about €950 to €2,200 a year

Request this package

03

Grooming studio

For: Salon with staff, shop and several grooming stations

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Business interruption
  • Accident insurance
  • Occupational disability

Together about €900 to €2,000 a year, excluding disability cover

Request this package

The worst day in the grooming salon

Six things that really happen to dog groomers, here all on one Saturday. Tap through and see who pays.

Damage so far€28,250
  1. A nervous poodle flinches and the scissors cut the edge of the ear. Vet visit with stitches and a check up.

    €650 · Paid by: Business liability

  2. A Labrador jumps off the table and tears a cruciate ligament. Surgery at the animal hospital.

    €3,200 · Paid by: Business liability

  3. At pick up a terrier slips through the door and a cyclist falls trying to avoid it.

    €7,500 · Paid by: Business liability

  4. A Chow Chow bites your hand. Tendon injury, six weeks without scissors.

    €9,000 · Paid by: Accident insurance

  5. The hose on the dog bath bursts and water runs under the table and counter.

    €5,500 · Paid by: Business contents

  6. Drying out keeps the salon closed for four days while the rent keeps running.

    €2,400 · Paid by: Business interruption

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €28,250

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Have damage to animals in your care expressly included and check the limit per animal; surgery after a fall soon costs several thousand euros.
  2. Make sure supervisor's liability is named for every species you groom, cats included.
  3. Fit a second gate at the entrance. Escaped dogs cause the most expensive claims.
  4. Note skin conditions, matting and existing injuries when a dog arrives, ideally with a photo.
  5. Ask clients about their dog liability insurance and keep a copy on file.
  6. Declare a mobile salon correctly to your motor insurer. A conversion the policy does not know about is not covered.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We compare the animal clauses

Damage to animals in care, limits per animal, supervisor's liability: this is where offers differ. As brokers we lay them side by side.

Salon, van and private together

Liability, fittings, van and your own provision handled together, with one contact person, in English or German.

Plain words, not small print

We tell you upfront what is covered and what is not, so there are no surprises after the first nick.

Family business since 1989

Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker. Free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I need a permit under the Animal Welfare Act as a dog groomer?

Grooming alone is not expressly named in § 11 of the German Animal Welfare Act.

A permit is required for, among other things,

keeping vertebrates commercially and training dogs for others.

If you offer day care or training, talk to your local veterinary office.

Who is liable if a client's dog bites someone in my salon?

Often both the owner and the salon.

Anyone who takes over supervision of an animal by contract is liable under § 834 BGB unless they

show they took proper care.

Is the client's dog covered if I injure it?

Only if your business liability includes damage to animals in your care.

Without this, you pay the vet bill yourself.

What does insurance for a grooming salon cost?

Business liability starts at about €120 a year.

With contents and accident cover, small salons usually pay between €350 and €800.

What about mobile grooming?

The van needs motor insurance that knows about the conversion and commercial use,

and your business liability must cover work at the customer's door.

Are cats covered?

Only if they are named in the policy.

If you groom cats too, declare it.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Dog groomer

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

Personal accident insurance (private Unfallversicherung)

Be specific, for example software developer in an office, or electrician on building sites

For example motorcycling, diving, climbing, paragliding

For example accident pension, cover when travelling home, help at home after an accident

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 contents insurance in Germany (Inhaltsversicherung)

For example café with bakery, accounting firm, car repair shop

At purchase price, 0 if no stock

For example flood cover, customer property, tools in vehicles, loss of income

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