Business liability
Covers injury and property damage on the site, car wash damage and, where included, environmental liability and pollution caused by fuel and oil.
Insurance broker / Business types / Retail and wholesale
Insurance for petrol stations and station tenants in Germany
A petrol station brings together fuel, customers' cars, cash and a shop selling tobacco and alcohol, often around the clock. The most expensive losses are pollution in the ground; the most frequent is a scratch from the car wash. This page shows how a station tenant can protect the business and roughly what it costs.
The question almost everyone asks first
Who pays if our car wash damages a customer's car?
Your public liability insurance, provided car wash damage is included; for petrol stations this is a separate add on. Damage to fitted parts such as aerials, mirrors or roof bars is often excluded, and pre existing damage leads to arguments. Put up clear notices and keep records of maintenance and faults on the machine.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Fuel in the ground
A leaking hose during a tanker delivery or a crack in a pipe, and the soil needs costly remediation.
- 02
The car wash
Mirrors torn off, scratched paintwork, bent rear wipers: car wash damage is the most common liability claim at petrol stations.
- 03
Robbery at night
Cash, cigarettes and often only one person behind the counter: petrol stations are among the most frequent targets of robbery.
- 04
Fire and explosion
A spark while refuelling, a car burning at the pump or a fat fire in the bistro can affect the whole site.
- 05
Ice and oil
Oil patches on the forecourt, ice in winter and wet floors in the shop cause customers to fall.
- 06
Disputes with the oil company
Termination of the tenancy, commission and compensation for the regular customers you built up often end in court.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Business contents
Replaces shop stock, tobacco, fittings and the till after burglary, robbery, fire, water and storm.
Machinery breakdown
Covers the car wash, fuel pumps and compressor against breakage, operating errors, frost and short circuits.
Business interruption
Pays wages, rent and lost profit while the station is closed after a fire or pollution incident.
Business legal expenses
For disputes with the oil company over the tenancy and compensation, and with staff and suppliers.
Depends on the business
Group accident insurance
Pays staff injured in a robbery a fixed benefit on top of what the Berufsgenossenschaft provides.
Cyber insurance
For the till system and card payments, without which nothing works at the pump.
What it costs: example prices
Petrol stations are always priced individually. What counts is fuel volume, the car wash, the size of the shop, opening hours and what the tenancy agreement with the oil company already covers.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | Tenant with shop, environmental liability and car wash damage | around 800 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Business contents | Shop with tobacco and drinks, stock worth 100,000 euros, including robbery | around 600 to 1,500 euros a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Rollover car wash worth 150,000 euros | around 800 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Business legal expenses | Tenant with contract and employment legal cover | around 400 to 1,000 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to twelve months | around 300 to 900 euros a year |
For comparison: Liability with environmental cover plus shop insurance costs a petrol station about as much a year as 1,500 litres of unleaded.
Insurers and comparison sites do not publish premiums for petrol stations. All ranges are cautious guide figures from our own quoting practice, excluding insurance tax, as of September 2026. Whatever the oil company already insures reduces your share.
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Unmanned
For: self service station without shop or car wash, pay at pump only
- Business liability
- Machinery breakdown
Together around 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year
Request this package02
Station
For: tenant with shop, car wash and up to ten staff
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Business legal expenses
Together around 3,000 to 7,000 euros a year
Request this package03
Round the clock
For: 24 hour station with bistro, car wash tunnel and card payments
- Business liability
- Business contents
- Machinery breakdown
- Business interruption
- Business legal expenses
- Group accident insurance
- Cyber insurance
Together around 5,000 to 11,000 euros a year
Request this packageThe worst day at the petrol station
Six losses that really happen at petrol stations, all on one Sunday. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€84,300
-
A man with a knife threatens the night cashier and takes the till and the cigarette shelf.
-
The cashier was hurt in the robbery and cannot work for weeks.
-
The car wash rips the roof bars off an SUV and scratches the roof.
-
A customer slips on an oil patch by the pump and breaks a wrist.
-
The brush shaft of the car wash snaps; spare parts and an engineer are needed.
-
A hose bursts during the fuel delivery and diesel runs into the verge. Excavation and disposal of the soil.
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
- Read your tenancy agreement: it states which insurance you must take out and what the oil company insures itself.
- Include environmental liability and environmental damage cover, with a limit high enough to pay for soil remediation.
- Expressly include car wash damage and ask about exclusions for fitted parts.
- Keep as little cash in the till as possible and use a time lock safe; many insurers require one for robbery cover.
- Insure tobacco with a burglary and robbery limit that is high enough, as it is usually the most valuable stock in the shop.
- Legal expenses cover for the tenancy pays off before a dispute starts, not once the notice has arrived.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We fill the gaps the tenancy leaves open
There are often gaps between the oil company's insurance and your own. As a broker we obtain several quotes and set the cover side by side.
Fuel and pollution are familiar from the water
We settle boat claims ourselves, including fuel and oil spilled into the water. We know how quickly such costs rise and what the insurer needs to see.
Station and family from one source
We look after the business, your staff, vehicles and your personal cover together, reachable on +49 3375 29 12 77.
A family business since 1989
Many petrol stations are run by families, around the clock. We are there for you and cost you nothing; the insurer pays our commission.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Which insurance does a petrol station tenant need?
Public liability including environmental and car wash damage, contents insurance for the shop with robbery and burglary and, if you run your own car wash, machinery insurance. Which of these are mandatory is set out in your tenancy agreement.
What does petrol station insurance cost?
It is priced individually. In our experience, 3,000 to 7,000 euros a year is a realistic range for a station with a shop and a car wash.
Is car wash damage covered?
Only if it is expressly included in your public liability policy. Damage to fitted parts and damage linked to earlier defects are often excluded.
Who pays if fuel gets into the ground?
Environmental liability pays for damage suffered by others, and environmental damage insurance pays for the clean up the authorities order. Check who is responsible for which installation under your tenancy agreement.
Is robbery covered?
Contents insurance pays for stolen cash and goods in a robbery. Your staff are protected by the Berufsgenossenschaft and, in addition, by group accident insurance.
Do I need legal expenses cover against the oil company?
It is strongly advisable. Disputes over termination and compensation are common and expensive, and legal expenses cover must be in place before the dispute arises.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Petrol station
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.
Related trades
Are the cars on my forecourt insured against hail?
Are my cigarettes fully covered if someone breaks in?
Are my customers' cars insured while they are in my workshop?
Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 47.30 Einzelhandel mit Motorenkraftstoffen
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