A swapped conductor, a loose terminal, a short circuit in the distribution board: an electrician's mistake often shows up weeks later, and then as a fire. Add tool cases stolen from the van and expensive test equipment. This page sets out what your business should insure and what it costs.
Will the insurer pay if a cable fire breaks out months after my job?
Yes. Your public liability policy pays for the fire damage to the building and to other people's property, even if the work was accepted long ago. That is known as consequential damage. Redoing the faulty installation itself remains your own cost. What matters is that the policy is still running when the damage happens, or that run-off cover has been agreed.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Fire after the installation
Loose terminals, undersized cables or a forgotten circuit breaker cause smouldering fires. The damage hits an entire building and often only appears months later.
02
Power surges and electronics
While you rewire the meter cabinet, a voltage spike runs through the house: the customer's heating controls, television and server are ruined.
03
Drilling into pipes
When chasing walls and drilling, you hit water pipes or underfloor heating. The water runs into the flat below.
04
Electric shock
An employee works on a circuit that someone has switched back on. Accidents with electricity quickly lead to severe burns.
05
Tool theft
Cordless tools, testers and cable drums in the van are sought after by thieves. An emptied van easily costs five figures plus several lost working days.
06
Smart home and networks
If you set up networks, cameras and smart home systems, you are also liable for data breaches and financial losses when the system does not do what it should.
Business legal expenses cover helps in disputes over unpaid invoices, sign-offs and variations with clients and main contractors.
What it costs: example prices
For electricians, the liability premium depends mainly on turnover and on whether you only do installations or also build solar panels, charging points or industrial systems. Prices for the same cover vary widely between insurers, so comparing pays off.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
One-person business, €50,000 turnover, €5 million cover
about €100 to €500 a year
Business liability
Business with €250,000 turnover, €5 million cover
about €140 to €1,300 a year
Cargo insurance
Tools in transit for three vehicles, up to €10,000 per claim
about €150 to €300 a year
Business contents
Stock and office worth €40,000
about €120 to €300 a year
Electronic equipment
Test and measuring equipment worth €15,000
about €150 to €350 a year
For comparison: Liability and tools in transit cover for a small electrical business cost about as much per year as five to six hours of an electrician's billed time.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026.
Liability and tools in transit are based on published tariff examples;
contents and electronics are guide values from our own quoting practice.
Your premium depends on your business and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Six claims that really happen in electrical businesses, all squeezed into a single Thursday. Go through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€137,500
The van was broken into overnight. Cordless drill, hammer drill and the installation tester are gone.
€9,500 · Paid by: Cargo insurance
While chasing a wall, an electrician hits the underfloor heating. Screed and parquet in two rooms have to come out.
€14,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A surge occurs during a meter change. The customer's heating controls, television and router are broken.
€4,200 · Paid by: Business liability
The thermal imaging camera falls off the scaffold onto the tarmac.
€3,800 · Paid by: Electronic equipment
A customer reports a smouldering fire in the sub-distribution board your team installed four months ago. The kitchen is full of smoke damage.
€68,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A short circuit in a charger sets the store on fire. Cables, switches and lights for three jobs are burnt.
€38,000 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €137,500
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Choose at least €5 million cover for injury and property damage; commercial and industrial clients often ask for €10 million.
Have damage to the object you work on and damage to pipes and cables when drilling and chiselling expressly included.
Solar panels, wall boxes, battery storage and smart home work must be named in the policy as activities if you offer them.
Check the night-time clause in your tools in transit cover: many policies only pay between 22:00 and 06:00 with an excess or if the tools were in a locked box.
Agree run-off cover if you close the business: fires from old installations can be reported years later.
Include financial losses from network and data work as soon as you set up IT systems for customers.
Why NAMMERT for your business
Several insurers compared
For electrical businesses, premiums for the same cover can differ by a factor of five. We obtain quotes from different insurers and compare the policy wording, not just the price.
First-hand claims knowledge
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including many electrical faults and fires on board. We know which documents an insurer wants to see after a cable fire.
Business and private in one place
Vans, tools, liability and your personal cover sit with us in one file, with one contact person.
Free of charge for you
As a broker we are paid by the insurer. You pay nothing extra for advice and comparison, and we have worked this way as a family business since 1989.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Is liability insurance compulsory for electricians in Germany?
Not by law.
But grid operators, property managers and main contractors regularly ask for proof,
and without insurance a single fire claim can end your business.
How much does liability insurance cost for an electrician?
For a one-person business with €50,000 turnover,
published premiums range from about €100 to €500 a year.
With employees and a higher turnover it quickly reaches €500 to €1,300.
Are my tools insured in the company van?
Not under the motor policy,
and business contents insurance usually only covers them on your premises.
For tools on the road and on site you need tools in transit or tools insurance.
Are solar installations and wall boxes covered automatically?
Not always.
Some policies exclude work on roofs or energy systems or set their own limits.
Tell us about these activities so they are written into the policy.
Who pays if I drill into a water pipe?
Your liability policy, provided damage to pipes and cables is included.
That is standard in good tradesman tariffs; budget tariffs sometimes set low limits.
Are my employees insured after an electrical accident?
At work and on the way to and from work, BG ETEM pays as the statutory accident insurer.
Group accident insurance is a good addition for leisure time and extra benefits.
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