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Insurance for scaffolding contractors in Germany

A scaffold stands for weeks in front of other people's houses, on pavements and over cars, and every other trade relies on it. If it topples or a board comes loose, the scaffolder is often liable. On top of that comes material worth as much as a family home, spread across many sites. This page explains what you need and what it costs.

Insurance for scaffolding firms

The question almost everyone asks first

Am I liable if another tradesman falls from the scaffold?

Yes, if the scaffold was put up defectively, for example if a board was missing or the anchoring was wrong. Your public liability policy then pays compensation for pain and suffering, loss of earnings and the recovery claims of the Berufsgenossenschaft, the statutory accident insurer. If someone else altered the scaffold without authorisation, the liability usually lies with them. That is why handover records and inspection tags are so important.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Scaffold topples

    Gusts of wind, missing anchors or a sheet hung on it with too much wind load: a falling scaffold hits roofs, cars and in the worst case people.

  2. 02

    Other trades falling

    Painters, roofers and facade builders work on your scaffold. If a guardrail is missing, you are liable for their fall.

  3. 03

    Material theft

    Steel and aluminium scaffolding is stolen on a large scale, often whole lifts overnight.

  4. 04

    Pedestrians and traffic

    Falling couplers or boards, a lorry driving into the scaffold: in public spaces, damage hits bystanders.

  5. 05

    Damage to the building

    Anchors leave holes, drilling hits pipes and cables, scaffold tubes scratch facades and windows.

  6. 06

    Your own accidents

    Erecting and dismantling is among the most dangerous jobs in construction. Falls often have lasting consequences.

Risk radar
Liability 5Fire and water 3Theft 5Cyber 1Downtime 3Health 5

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Pays for injury and property damage caused by your scaffold, including to other trades' workers and to passers-by in public spaces.

Business contents

Scaffold material is your capital; with cover extended to sites it is protected against theft, storm and fire.

Strongly advised

Fleet insurance

Lorries with loading cranes and trailers under one fleet policy, with comprehensive cover for the expensive vehicles.

Accident insurance

Owners without voluntary Berufsgenossenschaft cover are otherwise unprotected after a fall.

Occupational disability

Scaffolders have a high risk of being permanently unable to work in their trade; income protection covers that.

Depends on the business

Business legal expenses

Business legal expenses cover for disputes about hire periods, hire extensions and unpaid invoices with clients.

What it costs: example prices

Scaffolding is one of the more expensive trade risks. Even small firms pay well over €900 a year for liability, and cover for the material on site comes on top.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liability€50,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover, €250 excessabout €900 to €1,800 a year
Business liability€200,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million coverabout €1,250 to €2,550 a year
Business liability€500,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million coverabout €2,950 to €5,800 a year
Business contentsScaffold material worth €200,000 with cover on sitesabout €1,200 to €3,500 a year

For comparison: Liability insurance for a small scaffolding firm costs roughly as much per year as scaffolding the facade of a detached house for four weeks.

Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026.

Liability comes from published tariff comparisons;

material cover is a guide value from our quoting practice,

because it depends heavily on the theft risk in your region.

We obtain the exact quote for you.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Start

For: small firm with one crew and its own material

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Accident insurance

Together about €2,200 to €5,000 a year

Request this package

02

Scaffolder

For: two to four crews, lorry with loading crane

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Accident insurance
  • Fleet insurance
  • Group accident insurance

Together about €5,000 to €11,000 a year excluding the fleet

Request this package

03

All round

For: larger firm with industrial and facade scaffolding

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Accident insurance
  • Fleet insurance
  • Group accident insurance
  • Business legal expenses

Together about €10,000 to €22,000 a year excluding the fleet

Request this package

The worst day in scaffolding

Six claims as they really happen to scaffolders, all on a single stormy Monday. Go through the day and see who pays.

Damage so far€223,500
  1. Forty square metres of scaffolding including boards have vanished overnight from a site on the edge of town.

    €9,000 · Paid by: Business contents

  2. A lorry reverses into the scaffold by the road. Two bays buckle and a parked car is damaged.

    €7,500 · Paid by: Business liability

  3. A roofer falls because a guardrail was missing. The Berufsgenossenschaft seeks recovery from the scaffolder.

    €65,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  4. A gust of wind topples a sheeted scaffold. It falls onto the neighbour's conservatory.

    €38,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  5. During dismantling, a coupler falls from twelve metres and injures a passer-by's shoulder.

    €14,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  6. While dismantling, the owner steps into thin air and falls five metres. He is not voluntarily insured with the Berufsgenossenschaft.

    €90,000 · Paid by: Accident insurance

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €223,500

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Choose at least €5 million cover; for industrial and roadside scaffolds clients often ask for €10 million.
  2. Have damage to third-party property the scaffold is fixed to, and anchoring damage to facades, included.
  3. Insure scaffold material on other people's sites expressly against theft and storm.
  4. Check whether hiring out scaffolds without erecting them yourself is covered, if you offer it.
  5. Document every handover with a record and photos; in a dispute about unauthorised alterations, that is your most important evidence.
  6. As the owner, join BG BAU voluntarily or take out personal accident insurance with a high sum: both together are the safest option in scaffolding.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We ask the right insurers

Not every insurer writes scaffolding on reasonable terms. As a broker we obtain quotes from several insurers that know the risk.

Storms are our daily business

In boat insurance we handle storm claims ourselves. We know how weather data and photos prove a loss.

Material, vehicles and liability together

We look after scaffolding, lorries and liability in one view, so material on site does not fall between two policies.

Owner-managed since 1989

You have one fixed contact person. The insurer pays our remuneration, so it is free for you.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How much does liability insurance cost for scaffolders?

Published tariff comparisons show about €900 to €1,800 a year at €50,000 turnover and about €2,950

to €5,800 at €500,000 turnover.

Is my scaffold material insured on site?

Usually not under ordinary contents insurance, which only applies on your own premises.

You need cover extended to sites or a special policy for scaffold material.

Who is liable if another tradesman alters the scaffold?

In principle, whoever made the alteration.

But you have to prove that your scaffold was in order at handover.

Handover records are therefore essential for your own sake.

Do I need special insurance for scaffolds by the road?

Public liability covers damage in public spaces.

Many cities ask for proof together with the special use permit and check the limit of cover.

Does insurance pay if a storm blows the scaffold over?

Liability pays for damage to houses, cars and people if you anchored the scaffold properly.

Damage to your own scaffold is only paid by property cover for the material.

Am I as the owner insured against accidents?

Only if you insure yourself voluntarily with BG BAU, the statutory accident insurer,

or make private provision.

In scaffolding you should look at both.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Scaffolding

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

Personal accident insurance (private Unfallversicherung)

Be specific, for example software developer in an office, or electrician on building sites

For example motorcycling, diving, climbing, paragliding

For example accident pension, cover when travelling home, help at home after an accident

Occupational disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung)

For example data analyst in an office, or civil engineer with site visits

We discuss details personally for an anonymous enquiry

For example how long you plan to stay in Germany, self-employment, existing policies

Business liability insurance in Germany (Betriebshaftpflicht)

For example electrical installation in homes, café with outdoor seating, online shop for furniture

For example work at clients' sites, own products, exports to the US, parent company abroad

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

Fleet insurance in Germany (Kfz-Flottenversicherung)

For example leasing, insurer's claims report, foreign trips, renewal date

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

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