Insurance for woodland owners, forestry contractors and arborists in Germany
A rotten branch over the footpath, a spruce that falls the wrong way during felling, a forest fire in a dry summer: in forestry, people, machines and assets are out in the open. This page shows what woodland owners, forestry contractors and arborists in Germany should insure and what it costs.
As a woodland owner, am I liable if a branch falls on a walker?
In German woodland the rule is that people enter at their own risk, and you are generally not liable for hazards typical of a forest. It is different along public roads, car parks, houses or recreational facilities you have created yourself. There you must inspect trees and are liable if you overlook visible defects. Woodland owner's liability insurance therefore makes sense even for small areas, and it costs little.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Accidents during harvesting
Chainsaw kickback, breaking branches, rolling logs: forest work is among the most dangerous jobs there are.
02
A tree falls on someone else's property
During felling a tree drops onto a neighbour's house, a power line or a road. Such losses quickly reach five or six figures.
03
Duty of care along paths
Trees along roads and car parks must be inspected regularly. An overlooked fungal infection becomes a question of liability.
04
Forest fire
Dry summers raise the risk. A fire destroys stands that have grown for decades.
05
Windthrow
A single storm can flatten entire stands, and clearing up is expensive and dangerous.
06
Theft of machines and timber
Harvesters, winches and chainsaws in the forest and stacked timber by the track are stolen to order.
For forestry contractors and tree care businesses with staff, on top of the statutory accident insurer.
What it costs: example prices
For woodland owners, liability and forest fire cover are usually priced per hectare and are inexpensive, especially through forest owners' associations. Forestry contractors and arborists pay according to turnover, payroll and machine value.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Woodland owner's liability through a forest owners' association, per hectare
under €2.50 a year
Natural hazard cover
Forest insurance for 4 hectares of mixed woodland, market example
around €105 a year
Business liability
Tree care business with three staff and rope access techniques
around €600 to €1,800 a year
Machinery breakdown
Harvester with a new value of €450,000
around €4,000 to €9,000 a year
Accident insurance
Private accident insurance for a forestry worker
around €250 to €700 a year
For comparison: Liability for 10 hectares of woodland through a forest owners' association costs less a year than one stacked cubic metre of firewood.
Guide figures excluding German insurance tax, as of September 2026.
The per hectare figures come from published examples of a forest owners' association and an
insurer; tree care, machinery and accident are guide figures from our own quoting.
Six things that really happen to woodland owners, forestry contractors and arborists, put together on one day in late summer. Tap through.
Damage so far€189,000
While felling at the edge of a housing estate, the spruce twists and hits the neighbour's carport and car.
€26,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The forwarder slides on the slope and tips over; cab and crane are badly damaged.
€95,000 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
Chainsaw kickback injures the contractor's leg. Months off work and a lasting impairment.
€40,000 · Paid by: Accident insurance
A branch from a neglected oak by the car park falls on a parked car.
€7,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A forest fire destroys 3 hectares of young Douglas fir.
€12,000 · Paid by: Natural hazard cover
Chainsaws and a winch are stolen from the equipment trailer at the timber yard.
€9,000 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €189,000
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Ask your forest owners' association about group schemes; liability and forest fire cover are often particularly cheap there.
Inspect trees along roads, car parks and houses regularly and keep records; that decides the outcome after a loss.
As a forestry contractor, have damage to tracks, power lines and third party land expressly included in your general liability.
Arborists should have rope access work, aerial platforms and cranes named in the policy.
Insure forestry machines against overturning, fire and theft while working, not only in the yard.
Top up the SVLFG with private accident or income protection insurance that expressly accepts forest work.
Why NAMMERT for your business
From small woodland to harvester
For woodland owners a cheap group scheme is often enough; forestry contractors need more. As a broker we compare several insurers and tell you what is sufficient.
We know claims from our own claims handling
In boat insurance we handle storm claims ourselves. We know how to prove how a loss happened and what it was worth.
Forest, farm and family
Many woodland owners also farm or run a sawmill. We look after all of it with one contact, and can do so in English.
A family business since 1989
Forests think in generations, and so do we as a family business. Our work costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Does a woodland owner need liability insurance?
Not by law, but it is sensible and cheap.
You are liable for trees along roads, houses and paths you have created,
and personal liability insurance often only covers woodland up to a small area.
What does forest fire insurance cost?
Through forest owners' associations often less than €2.50 per hectare a year.
Individual policies cost more; with many tariffs the compensation is a few thousand euros per
hectare.
Is windthrow covered?
Only with storm insurance for the forest.
It usually pays a fixed sum per hectare or per solid cubic metre of damaged timber.
Does a woodland owner have to join the Berufsgenossenschaft?
Yes, woodland owners are generally members of the SVLFG,
the statutory accident insurer for agriculture and forestry,
and pay a contribution even if they rarely work in the forest.
What does insurance cost for an arborist?
Liability, machinery, accident and vehicle usually cost small businesses between €1,500 and €4,000
a year.
Who pays if a power line is torn down during felling?
General liability, including the network operator's loss from the outage if consequential
financial losses are insured.
Check the sum for that.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Forestry and tree care
The recommended covers are ticked.
Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, in English.
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