Business liability
Pays for installation, welding and product damage, with extended product liability and removal and reinstallation costs for faulty components.
Insurance broker / Business types / Construction and trades
Insurance for metalwork, locksmith and steel construction firms in Germany
Metalworkers build things people rely on: railings, stairs, gates, canopies. If one of them fails, it is about injuries and product liability. The workshop has lasers and press brakes, and on site, welding sends sparks flying. This page explains what your business needs and what it costs.
The question almost everyone asks first
Am I liable if a gate I built traps a child?
Yes, if the gate was badly designed or installed, or a required safety device was missing. Public liability with product liability then pays for treatment, compensation for pain and suffering and follow-up costs, even years after installation. For power-operated gates, testing, documentation and maintenance instructions to the customer are your most important protection.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Sparks while welding
Welding and cutting in existing buildings ignites insulation, timber or stored goods. Hot work is one of the most common causes of fires in buildings.
- 02
Failing components
A railing gives way, a stair tread breaks, a canopy comes loose: injuries caused by products can come long after installation.
- 03
Gates and automation
Power-operated gates and barriers without working safety devices trap people or damage vehicles.
- 04
Machines in the workshop
Laser, press brake and band saw are expensive. A control failure stops the whole production.
- 05
Keys and locking systems
Locksmiths offering a key service manage master keys and locking plans. A loss or error can cost an entire system.
- 06
Hands and eyes
Cuts and crush injuries, arc eye and metal splinters in the eye are among the most common accidents.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Business contents
Replaces the workshop, material and tools at new value after fire, burglary and storm.
Machinery breakdown
Covers the laser, CNC press brake and welding equipment against operating errors, short circuits and breakage.
Business interruption
Pays wages and fixed costs while production stands still after a fire or machinery breakdown.
Cargo insurance
Covers finished components and tools on the way to the site.
Depends on the business
Commercial buildings
If you own the workshop building, it needs its own buildings insurance.
Occupational disability
A serious hand or eye injury can end your work in the workshop; income protection keeps your earnings going.
What it costs: example prices
Liability for metalworkers is cheap for small businesses and rises sharply with turnover, share of steel construction and product liability. Machines and the workshop are the expensive part.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | €50,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €70 to €510 a year |
| Business liability | €250,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €95 to €1,300 a year |
| Business liability | Business with steel construction, gates and extended product liability, ten employees | about €1,500 to €4,000 a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Fibre laser and press brake worth €400,000 | about €1,600 to €4,000 a year |
| Business contents | Workshop, material and tools worth €150,000 | about €400 to €1,100 a year |
For comparison: Liability and workshop contents cover for a small locksmith's workshop cost about as much per year as two to three metres of stainless steel railing including installation.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The first two liability examples come from published tariff comparisons; the other ranges are guide values from our quoting practice. We obtain the exact quote for you.
Sources of the price examples
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Start
For: locksmith or metalworker working alone, small workshop
- Business liability
- Business contents
Together about €350 to €1,100 a year
Request this package02
Metalwork business
For: three to fifteen employees, railings, stairs, gates
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Cargo insurance
Together about €2,500 to €7,000 a year
Request this package03
Steel construction
For: production with laser, own building and commercial projects
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Cargo insurance
- Commercial buildings
Together about €7,000 to €18,000 a year
Request this packageThe worst day in the metal workshop
Six claims as they really happen to metalworkers, all on a single Tuesday. Go through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€193,900
-
The press brake fails with hydraulic damage. Orders for three staircases are on hold.
-
While cutting a steel beam in an old building, sparks ignite the timber joist ceiling. The fire brigade puts it out; two flats are uninhabitable.
-
A sliding gate installed in spring closes without a light barrier and damages a delivery van.
-
The delivered canopy does not fit because the brackets were drilled wrongly. Removal and reinstallation at the customer's site are needed.
-
A balcony railing gives way; a guest falls and breaks an arm.
-
Burglary at the workshop: welding machines, cordless tools and stainless steel stock 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
- Include extended product liability with removal and reinstallation costs if you supply components that others install.
- Hot work on site must be insured; follow conditions such as fire watch and extinguishers.
- Choose at least €5 million combined cover, rather €10 million for steel construction and gate systems.
- Insure machines at new value and consider machinery business interruption if you only have one laser.
- If you offer a key service, include lost keys and damage to locking systems.
- Name gate systems, certified welding and steel construction expressly in the policy, so the activity is safely covered.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We understand product liability
For metalworkers, product liability and removal and reinstallation costs decide the outcome. We compare exactly these modules across several insurers.
Metal and claims from the inside
In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, including welds, fittings and stainless steel rigging. We know how surveyors assess material defects.
Workshop and private together
Machines, vehicles, liability and your own cover are handled by one fixed contact person.
Family business since 1989
We are free of charge for you; the insurer pays our remuneration. And we stay reachable when a claim needs reporting.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How much does liability insurance cost for metalworkers?
Published tariff comparisons show about €70 to €510 a year for €50,000 turnover and about €95 to €1,300 for €250,000 turnover. With steel construction and gate systems it is considerably more.
Do I need product liability as a metalworker?
Yes, as soon as you manufacture or supply components. Basic product liability is often included in public liability; the extended version with removal and reinstallation costs usually has to be added.
Is a fire caused by welding covered?
Yes, if hot work is not excluded. Many policies require safety measures such as a fire watch and extinguishers; ignore them and you risk a reduced payment.
Who pays if my laser breaks down?
Contents insurance for fire or burglary, machinery insurance for operating errors, short circuits or material defects. Business interruption cover pays the loss of income.
Do gate systems need special cover?
Power-operated gates carry a higher injury risk. Name them in the policy and document the safety test at handover.
What should I watch out for as a locksmith offering a key service?
Lost keys and damage when opening doors should be included; otherwise your business bears these costs itself.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Metalwork
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):
- 25.11 Herstellung von Metallkonstruktionen
- 25.12 Herstellung von Ausbauelementen aus Metall
- 25.51 Beschichten von Metallen
- 25.52 Wärmebehandlung von Metallen
- 25.53 Metallbearbeitung a. n. g.
- 25.61 Herstellung von Schneidwaren und Bestecken aus unedlen Metallen
- 25.62 Herstellung von Schlössern und Beschlägen aus unedlen Metallen
- 25.63 Herstellung von Werkzeugen
- 25.91 Herstellung von Fässern, Trommeln, Dosen, Eimern u. ä. Behältern aus Metall
- 25.92 Herstellung von Verpackungen und Verschlüssen aus Eisen, Stahl und NE-Metall
- 25.93 Herstellung von Drahtwaren, Ketten und Federn
- 25.94 Herstellung von Schrauben und Nieten
- 25.99 Herstellung von sonstigen Metallwaren a. n. g.
- 33.11 Reparatur und Instandhaltung von Metallerzeugnissen
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
Boat or yacht? Here we are not the broker but the underwriting agency, with our own policies and our own claims handling.
Boat insuranceNAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated