Business liability
Pays for damage to pipes and cables, water and consequential fire damage, damage to customers' property and to vehicles below the facade.
Insurance broker / Business types / Construction and trades
Insurance for drywall installers, stucco workers and plasterers in Germany
Drywall installers screw into walls with power and water running behind them every day, and they build fire walls that people's lives will later depend on. Stucco workers and plasterers work on facades with cars parked underneath. This page explains which insurance your business needs and what premiums to expect.
The question almost everyone asks first
Will the insurer pay if a fire wall fails inspection?
No. Rebuilding a defective wall is remedial work and not insured. Liability insurance only pays once the defect causes damage, for example if a fire spreads because of the faulty wall. Business legal expenses cover helps in disputes over sign-off and expert reports. Your best protection is clean documentation of the approved systems you installed.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Pipes and cables in the wall
While fixing channels and hangers, a screw hits a water pipe or power cable. The damage often only shows once the wall is closed.
- 02
Fire and sound protection
Missing seals, the wrong boards or open penetrations make fire walls ineffective. The consequences can be severe.
- 03
Dust and dirt
Sanding dust gets into ventilation, server rooms and neighbouring flats. Cleaning and damage to equipment become expensive.
- 04
Damp and mould
Plasterboard in rooms that are too damp, or plaster on wet masonry, leads to mould. A dispute about the cause is almost certain.
- 05
Facades and scaffolds
Plaster and stucco work on facades: mortar and tools fall onto cars, passers-by or conservatories.
- 06
Overhead work
Ceiling installation strains shoulders and neck, and falls from ladders and platforms are common.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Cargo insurance
Covers metal channels, boards and tools in the van and on site against theft.
Business contents
Replaces the store and workshop after fire, burglary or escape of water.
Occupational disability
Overhead work and heavy boards strain shoulders and back; income protection secures your earnings.
Depends on the business
Business legal expenses
Business legal expenses cover for disputes over sign-off, fire protection certificates and variations with main contractors.
Group accident insurance
Extra accident cover for installers, also outside working hours.
What it costs: example prices
Liability for drywall firms depends mainly on turnover. The gap between cheap and expensive providers is particularly wide in this trade.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | €100,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €215 to €1,040 a year |
| Business liability | €250,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €310 to €2,230 a year |
| Business liability | €500,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €620 to €3,800 a year |
| Cargo insurance | Tools in transit for three vehicles, up to €10,000 per claim | about €150 to €300 a year |
For comparison: Liability and tools cover for a small drywall business costs about as much per year as eight to ten square metres of finished stud wall.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026, from published tariff comparisons with excesses of €0 to €1,000. Your premium depends on your business and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Sources of the price examples
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Start
For: drywall installer working alone or with one helper
- Business liability
- Cargo insurance
Together about €360 to €900 a year
Request this package02
Specialist business
For: three to ten installers, interior fit-out and fire protection
- Business liability
- Cargo insurance
- Business contents
- Business legal expenses
Together about €900 to €2,800 a year
Request this package03
All round
For: business doing drywall, plaster and facades for main contractors
- Business liability
- Cargo insurance
- Business contents
- Business legal expenses
- Group accident insurance
Together about €2,200 to €5,500 a year
Request this packageThe worst day on a fit-out site
Six claims as they really happen in drywall, plaster and stucco work, all on a single Wednesday. Go through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€104,700
-
A screw for the ceiling channel hits the sprinkler pipe in an office building. Water on three floors.
-
Sanding dust gets into a tenant's server room. Fans and power supplies fail.
-
A bucket of plaster falls from the facade scaffold onto a parked convertible.
-
Over lunch, a board lifter, cordless screwdrivers and a laser disappear from the site.
-
The main contractor cuts the final invoice over alleged fire protection defects, and an expert surveyor is needed.
-
A short circuit in a charger sets the store on fire. Channels, boards and machines burn.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Have damage to pipes and cables from drilling and fixing included without a low special limit.
- Access and reinstatement costs matter in drywall: opening and closing finished walls often costs more than the pipe.
- Name fire protection, acoustic and facade work as well as external wall insulation systems expressly in the policy.
- Choose at least €5 million cover; many main contractors require it anyway.
- Check cover for dust damage to equipment and furnishings; some tariffs exclude gradual effects.
- Photograph installed systems and their approvals; in a claim, that is your most important evidence.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We compare the limits
Pipe damage, access costs and dust: for drywall firms, special limits decide the outcome, not the basic premium. We put several quotes side by side for you.
Experience from settling claims ourselves
In boat insurance we act as underwriting agent and settle claims ourselves, so we know how surveyors argue about causes. You benefit when it comes to water in the wall.
One contact for site and home
Liability, vehicles, store and your personal cover are handled by us in one place.
Free of charge since 1989
Our advice costs you nothing extra; the insurer pays our remuneration. And you deal with a family business.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I need liability insurance as a drywall installer in Germany?
Not by law, but main contractors and developers almost always ask for proof. A single drilled pipe can run into five figures.
How much does liability insurance cost for drywall work?
Published comparisons show about €215 to €1,040 a year at €100,000 turnover and about €620 to €3,800 at €500,000 turnover.
Are stucco and plastering covered by the same policy?
Yes, if they are named as activities. You should state facade work and external insulation expressly.
Does the insurer pay if my fire wall is defective?
It does not pay for remedial work. Only damage the defect causes to other property or people is covered.
Who pays if dust damages the customer's equipment?
Your public liability policy, provided dust damage is not excluded. Documenting how you covered and extracted helps in a dispute.
Do my subcontractors need their own insurance?
Yes. Your liability for subcontractors you hire is usually covered, but their own liability is not. Ask to see proof before work starts.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Drywall
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
Related trades
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Will the insurer pay if a cable fire breaks out months after my job?
Who pays if my shower waterproofing starts leaking after a year?
Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 43.23 Einbau von Isolierungen
- 43.31 Anbringen von Stuckaturen, Gipserei und Verputzerei
- 43.35 Sonstiger Ausbau
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
Boat or yacht? Here we are not the broker but the underwriting agency, with our own policies and our own claims handling.
Boat insuranceNAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated