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Insurance for land surveyors and surveying firms in Germany

A boundary point ten centimetres out, a setting out error that puts a house too close to the boundary, a level mistake on a sewer: surveying errors often only show once the concrete is poured. In Germany, publicly appointed surveyors (ÖbVI) must insure their liability under state law, and so must self-employed engineers on the chamber list. This page explains what a surveying firm should insure and what it costs.

Insurance for land surveyors in Germany

The question almost everyone asks first

How much cover do I need as a surveyor in Germany?

It depends on the state and your role. For publicly appointed surveyors the state sets scope and amount, partly by regulation. For engineers on the chamber list, Brandenburg for example requires 1.5 million euros for bodily injury and 300,000 euros for property and financial loss, with a run-off period of at least five years. If you set out large buildings, choose a much higher sum for property and financial loss.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Setting out errors

    A building or slab is built on wrong coordinates and has to be moved or demolished.

  2. 02

    Boundary errors

    A boundary point is set wrongly and the fence or garage ends up on the neighbour's land.

  3. 03

    Levels and falls

    A level error on a sewer or slab causes backflow, rework and delay.

  4. 04

    Instruments in the field

    Total stations, GNSS receivers and scanners cost five figures and get knocked over, run over or stolen.

  5. 05

    Drone flights

    A survey drone can crash onto people, cars or roofs.

  6. 06

    Roads and sites

    Survey crews work next to traffic and on building sites, where accidents and damage to third party cables happen.

Risk radar
Liability 5Fire and water 3Theft 4Cyber 3Downtime 2Health 3

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Professional indemnity

Compulsory under state law for publicly appointed surveyors and engineers on the chamber list; covers bodily injury, property damage and financial loss from survey errors.

Strongly advised

Electronic equipment

Equipment cover replaces total stations, GNSS receivers and scanners after falls, theft and water, including in the field.

Drone insurance

Drone flights need their own aviation liability cover; professional indemnity usually does not cover a crash.

Business contents

Office furniture and equipment in the office against fire, burst pipes and burglary.

Depends on the business

Fleet insurance

With several survey vehicles, one fleet policy bundles liability and comprehensive cover.

Cyber insurance

Survey data, cadastral and client data are digital; an attack stops the office.

What it costs: example prices

The premium depends on fee income, activities, sum insured and deductible. Setting out for buildings and civil engineering costs more than site plans alone.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Professional indemnitySmall firm, site plans and boundary surveys, 1.5 million and 300,000 eurosaround 600 to 1,400 euros a year
Professional indemnityFirm with eight staff, setting out for buildings, 3 million and 1 million eurosaround 2,500 to 6,000 euros a year
Electronic equipmentTwo total stations, one GNSS rover and one scanner worth 120,000 euros, field usearound 1,200 to 2,800 euros a year
Drone insuranceSurvey drone up to 5 kg, commercial usearound 150 to 400 euros a year
Cyber insuranceOffice with ten workstationsaround 500 to 1,300 euros a year

For comparison: Equipment cover for one survey crew costs less a year than repairing a total station that fell over.

All prices are guide values from our quoting experience, excluding German insurance premium tax,

as of October 2026.

The sources show the legal rules using Brandenburg as an example;

other states set their own details.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Solo

For: surveying engineer with one crew

  • Professional indemnity
  • Electronic equipment
  • Business contents

Together around 1,500 to 3,500 euros a year

Request this package

02

Firm

For: surveying firm with several crews and a drone

  • Professional indemnity
  • Electronic equipment
  • Drone insurance
  • Business contents
  • Cyber insurance

Together around 4,500 to 10,000 euros a year

Request this package

03

Large firm

For: ÖbVI office or engineering company with a vehicle fleet and large projects

  • Professional indemnity
  • Electronic equipment
  • Drone insurance
  • Fleet insurance
  • Business contents
  • Cyber insurance
  • Business legal expenses

Together individual, usually from around 12,000 euros a year

Request this package

The worst day in a surveying firm

Six things that really happen to surveyors, all on one Wednesday. Tap through the day and see who pays.

Damage so far€152,500
  1. The slab of an apartment building sits 40 centimetres too close to the boundary. The setting out was wrong.

    €85,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity

  2. A reversing lorry runs over the tripod and the total station is a write-off.

    €28,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment

  3. During a survey flight the drone loses signal and hits a parked car.

    €4,500 · Paid by: Drone insurance

  4. A neighbour demands removal of his new fence because the boundary point was wrong.

    €9,000 · Paid by: Professional indemnity

  5. The GNSS rover and controller are stolen from the survey van.

    €22,000 · Paid by: Electronic equipment

  6. A client refuses the final invoice and disputes the hours.

    €4,000 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €152,500

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. List every activity: cadastral surveys, setting out, laser scanning, drone surveys and monitoring.
  2. Set the sum for property and financial loss by your largest setting out job, not the average.
  3. Insure instruments for field use and theft from vehicles, and check the locked vehicle clause.
  4. Check run-off cover before you hand over the firm; setting out errors can surface years later.
  5. Drones need their own liability cover even if they rarely fly.
  6. Tell the insurer about joint ventures with other firms, otherwise shared liability may remain open.

Why NAMMERT for your business

Several insurers compared

As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert obtains quotes from different insurers and checks sums, annual limits and run-off against your state's rules.

Advice in English, German law

We explain German policy wording and chamber rules in plain English.

Family business since 1989

Our advice is free for you, as the insurer pays our commission. You have fixed contacts.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is professional indemnity compulsory for surveyors in Germany?

For publicly appointed surveyors yes, under the relevant state act.

For self-employed engineers on the chamber list as well, in Brandenburg under section 10 BbgIngG.

Other firms are not required by law to insure, but clients almost always ask for it.

What does professional indemnity cost for a surveying firm?

A small firm usually pays around 600 to 1,400 euros a year,

a firm setting out buildings around 2,500 to 6,000 euros.

These are guide values from our quoting experience.

Are my instruments covered by contents insurance?

Partly in the office, usually not in the field.

For falls, theft from vehicles and site damage you need equipment cover with field use.

Does professional indemnity cover drone flights?

Usually not.

Operating a drone needs its own aviation liability policy.

How long must cover continue after I stop?

Brandenburg requires at least five years of run-off cover for engineers on the chamber list.

For publicly appointed surveyors the state sets the details.

Can I get advice in English?

Yes.

Policies are usually issued in German, and we go through the key clauses with you in English.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Land surveyor

The recommended covers are ticked.

Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Drone insurance in Germany (liability and hull cover)

Professional indemnity insurance in Germany (Berufshaftpflicht)

For example tax adviser with payroll, freelance software developer,

architect for residential buildings

For example current policy abroad, clients in the US, side activities,

expiry date of existing cover

Business contents insurance in Germany (Inhaltsversicherung)

For example café with bakery, accounting firm, car repair shop

At purchase price, 0 if no stock

For example flood cover, customer property, tools in vehicles, loss of income

Electronic equipment insurance in Germany (Elektronikversicherung)

For example single expensive devices, extra costs, practice downtime

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

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Boat insurance

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT.

Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act.

Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company.

It does not arrange your contract.

Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated