Business liability
Covers injury and property damage to clients and third parties, including harm from colouring, cutting and treatments, provided damage caused by your work is included.
Insurance broker / Business types / Beauty and wellbeing
Insurance for hairdressers and barbers in Germany
A salon runs on hands, chemicals and water, and that is exactly where the typical claims come from: a chemical burn after bleaching, a client slipping on wet tiles, a burst hose under the basin. This page shows what should be insured, what it costs and where to start.
The question almost everyone asks first
Does public liability pay if a colour goes wrong?
Yes, if the client suffers actual harm to her health, such as a chemical burn or an allergic reaction: the policy then pays medical costs and compensation for pain and suffering. If she simply dislikes the colour, that is not an insured loss but a correction you carry yourself. Make sure damage caused by your work to hair and scalp is expressly included.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Chemicals on skin
Bleach, perms and colour can cause chemical burns and allergic reactions. This is the most common expensive liability claim in a salon.
- 02
Wet floors
Water around the basins and hair on the tiles: a client who slips can easily end up with a fracture and a claim for damages.
- 03
Water leaks
Basins, water heater and washing machine run every day. A burst hose often floods the shop next door or the flat below.
- 04
Heat and electricity
Straighteners, dryers and hood dryers run for hours. Overheated appliances are a typical cause of fire in small businesses.
- 05
Break-ins
Professional scissors, straighteners and retail products are easy to sell on and often worth several thousand euros.
- 06
Your own hands
Hairdresser's eczema, back and wrist problems: skin disease is one of the most common reasons hairdressers have to give up the trade.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Business contents
Replaces fittings, chairs, equipment and stock at new value after fire, burst pipes, storm and burglary.
Business interruption
Pays rent, wages and lost profit while the salon stays closed after an insured loss.
Occupational disability
Protects the owner's income if skin, back or hands can no longer cope with the work.
Depends on the business
Cyber insurance
Helps if the till system or online booking is hacked and client data is affected.
Business legal expenses
Covers legal disputes with your landlord, staff or suppliers, for example over a rent reduction or a dismissal.
Company pension (bAV)
A company pension helps you keep good people in the salon and receives tax relief in Germany.
What it costs: example prices
Premiums for a hair salon are among the lower ones in commercial insurance. What matters is the number of staff, turnover, the value of your fittings and whether you also offer beauty or nail treatments.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | One person salon or rented chair, 3 million euros cover | about 70 to 150 euros a year |
| Business liability | Salon with two to four employees | about 90 to 300 euros a year |
| Business contents | Fittings and stock worth 50,000 euros | about 100 to 250 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to twelve months, added to the contents policy | about 60 to 180 euros a year on top |
| Cyber insurance | Small salon with till system and online booking | about 150 to 400 euros a year |
For comparison: Basic cover of public liability plus contents insurance costs roughly as much per year as ten men's haircuts.
Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026, based on publicly quoted tariff examples and our own quoting experience. Your premium depends on your business and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Start
For: rented chair, mobile hairdresser, or a new business without its own fittings
- Business liability
Together about 70 to 150 euros a year
Request this package02
Salon
For: your own salon with fittings and up to five employees
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Business interruption
Together about 250 to 600 euros a year
Request this package03
All round
For: salon with several chairs, a till system and online booking
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Business interruption
- Cyber insurance
- Business legal expenses
Together about 700 to 1,400 euros a year
Request this packageThe worst day in the salon
Six things that really happen in salons, all on one single Tuesday. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€79,000
-
The supply hose under a basin bursts. Water has been running overnight into the café below.
-
After bleaching, a client has chemical burns on her scalp. Doctor, scar treatment, compensation.
-
A client slips on wet tiles and breaks his wrist.
-
The till system is encrypted, every appointment is gone and an email demands a ransom.
-
A towel warmer catches fire. Fittings and stock are covered in soot and the salon stays shut for three weeks.
-
Burglars come in through the back door: professional scissors, straighteners and the cash float are gone.
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
- Get written confirmation that damage caused by your work to hair and scalp, as well as allergic reactions, is covered.
- Choose at least 3 million euros combined cover for injury and property damage; 5 million often costs very little more.
- Insure your fittings at new value and include your stock, otherwise you risk being underinsured.
- Include damage to rented premises: damage to the salon you rent is often not covered otherwise.
- Beauty treatments, nails, lashes or wet shaves must be named in the policy if you offer them.
- Check that your income protection policy fits hairdressing: skin disease is the most common reason for leaving the trade.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We compare rather than sell one insurer
As a broker we obtain quotes from several insurers and show you the difference in the policy wording, not just in the price.
We know claims from the inside
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We use that experience when your insurer hesitates over a chemical burn or a water leak.
One contact for everything
Salon, car, your staff's pensions and your private cover all come together with us, under one number and one email address.
A family business since 1989
You talk to people who know your policy, not to a hold queue.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I need public liability insurance as a hairdresser in Germany?
It is not required by law, but in practice you cannot do without it: a single injury claim can run into five figures, and many landlords ask for proof of cover.
Am I covered by the salon's policy if I rent a chair?
Usually not. If you rent a chair as a self employed hairdresser, you are liable yourself and need your own public liability policy. The salon's policy normally only covers its own employees.
What does insurance for a hair salon cost?
Public liability starts at about 70 euros a year. A package of liability, contents and business interruption for a small salon is usually between 250 and 600 euros a year.
Are beauty treatments and nails covered automatically?
No. Additional treatments must be named in the policy, otherwise the insurer can refuse to pay. The same applies to lash extensions and wet shaves.
Who pays if a client has an allergic reaction to the colour?
Your public liability policy, as long as allergic reactions are not excluded. Keep a record of patch tests and advice given; it helps if there is a claim.
Do I need insurance for my employees?
Accidents at work are covered by the BGW, the statutory accident insurer for the trade. Voluntary and worthwhile extras are a company pension and group accident cover for accidents outside work.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Hairdresser
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.
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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):
- 96.21 Frisör- und Barbiersalons
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
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