Business liability
Pays for injury and property damage caused by your scaffold, including to other trades' workers and to passers-by in public spaces.
Insurance broker / Business types / Construction and trades
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.
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
- 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.
- 02
Other trades falling
Painters, roofers and facade builders work on your scaffold. If a guardrail is missing, you are liable for their fall.
- 03
Material theft
Steel and aluminium scaffolding is stolen on a large scale, often whole lifts overnight.
- 04
Pedestrians and traffic
Falling couplers or boards, a lorry driving into the scaffold: in public spaces, damage hits bystanders.
- 05
Damage to the building
Anchors leave holes, drilling hits pipes and cables, scaffold tubes scratch facades and windows.
- 06
Your own accidents
Erecting and dismantling is among the most dangerous jobs in construction. Falls often have lasting consequences.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
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
Group accident insurance
Extra benefit for your crews after accidents, around the clock.
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.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | €50,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover, €250 excess | about €900 to €1,800 a year |
| Business liability | €200,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover | about €1,250 to €2,550 a year |
| Business liability | €500,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover | about €2,950 to €5,800 a year |
| Business contents | Scaffold material worth €200,000 with cover on sites | about €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 package02
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 package03
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 packageThe 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
-
Forty square metres of scaffolding including boards have vanished overnight from a site on the edge of town.
-
A lorry reverses into the scaffold by the road. Two bays buckle and a parked car is damaged.
-
A roofer falls because a guardrail was missing. The Berufsgenossenschaft seeks recovery from the scaffolder.
-
A gust of wind topples a sheeted scaffold. It falls onto the neighbour's conservatory.
-
During dismantling, a coupler falls from twelve metres and injures a passer-by's shoulder.
-
While dismantling, the owner steps into thin air and falls five metres. He is not voluntarily insured with the Berufsgenossenschaft.
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
- Choose at least €5 million cover; for industrial and roadside scaffolds clients often ask for €10 million.
- Have damage to third-party property the scaffold is fixed to, and anchoring damage to facades, included.
- Insure scaffold material on other people's sites expressly against theft and storm.
- Check whether hiring out scaffolds without erecting them yourself is covered, if you offer it.
- Document every handover with a record and photos; in a dispute about unauthorised alterations, that is your most important evidence.
- 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 settle 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.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
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 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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