Business liability
As woodland owner's or forestry contractor's liability it covers damage caused by trees along paths, during felling and in work for others.
Insurance broker / Business types / Farming and nature
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.
The question almost everyone asks first
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.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Natural hazard cover
In the forest this role is taken by forest fire and storm insurance, which replaces the value of standing and felled timber.
Machinery breakdown
For harvesters, forwarders, winches and forestry tractors against breakdown, overturning, fire and theft while working.
Accident insurance
The SVLFG pays only limited benefits after accidents at work. Accident insurance closes the gap, especially for the self employed.
Depends on the business
Occupational disability
If you work with a chainsaw or on a rope, one injury can quickly take away the basis of your income.
Car insurance
For forestry tractors, forwarders and pick-ups on public roads, where liability cover is compulsory.
Group accident insurance
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. We obtain the exact quote.
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Woodland
For: Private woodland owners with small and medium sized areas
- Business liability
- Natural hazard cover
Together around €5 to €30 per hectare a year, cheapest through group schemes
Request this package02
Tree care
For: Arborists and small forestry service firms with rope access and aerial platforms
- Business liability
- Machinery breakdown
- Accident insurance
- Car insurance
Together around €1,500 to €4,000 a year
Request this package03
Forestry contractor
For: Contractors with harvester, forwarder and staff
- Business liability
- Machinery breakdown
- Accident insurance
- Car insurance
- Group accident insurance
- Occupational disability
Together around €8,000 to €20,000 a year
Request this packageThe worst day in the forest
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.
-
The forwarder slides on the slope and tips over; cab and crane are badly damaged.
-
Chainsaw kickback injures the contractor's leg. Months off work and a lasting impairment.
-
A branch from a neglected oak by the car park falls on a parked car.
-
A forest fire destroys 3 hectares of young Douglas fir.
-
Chainsaws and a winch are stolen from the equipment trailer at the timber yard.
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
- 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 settlement work
In boat insurance we settle 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.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
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 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.
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Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 02.10 Forstwirtschaft
- 02.20 Holzeinschlag
- 02.30 Sammeln von wildwachsenden Produkten, ohne Holz
- 02.40 Erbringung von Dienstleistungen für Forstwirtschaft und Holzeinschlag
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
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