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Insurance for upholsterers and interior furnishers in Germany

An upholstery workshop is full of armchairs, sofas and antiques that belong to other people. Interior furnishers in Germany (Raumausstatter) also work in customers' homes with ladders, carpet knives and adhesive. This page explains which insurance upholsterers and interior furnishers really need, what it costs and where the usual gap is.

Insurance for upholsterers and interior furnishers

The question almost everyone asks first

Is my customer's sofa insured while it sits in my workshop?

Often not. Public liability usually excludes items you have taken in to work on. The fix is contents insurance that expressly includes third party property, plus liability cover for damage to the item being worked on. Ask for both before you accept a valuable piece.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Workshop fire

    Foam, wadding and fabric burn fast. One faulty cable and the customers' furniture is gone.

  2. 02

    Damage to the piece itself

    The fabric is cut wrongly, an old frame breaks during reupholstering, an heirloom is damaged.

  3. 03

    Damage at the customer's home

    The carpet knife scores the parquet, adhesive stains the floor, a drill hits a water pipe.

  4. 04

    Falls from ladders

    Hanging curtains or fitting blinds, staff fall or drop tools on other people.

  5. 05

    Transport damage

    An armchair slides around in the van and the frame and cover are damaged.

  6. 06

    Disputes over the work

    The customer does not like the colour or the seat and refuses to pay.

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

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Pays for injury and property damage to customers and third parties, including damage to items you are working on if agreed.

Strongly advised

Business contents

Replaces machines, fabric stock and customers' furniture after fire, burglary or water damage, if third party property is included.

Car insurance

Motor liability is compulsory for every van; comprehensive cover protects the vehicle itself.

Depends on the business

What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend mainly on turnover, staff, the value of customers' pieces in the workshop and whether you also lay floors and fit in customers' homes.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liabilityOne person upholstery, €60,000 turnover, €3 million coverabout €250 to €450 a year
Business liabilityInterior furnisher with four staff, flooring and fittingabout €600 to €1,300 a year
Business contentsWorkshop with machines, stock and customers' furniture worth €80,000about €300 to €700 a year
Business interruptionLoss of income up to €100,000, twelve months indemnity periodabout €200 to €500 a year
Car insurancePanel van up to 3.5 tonnes, liability and partial cover, mid no claims classabout €700 to €1,400 a year

For comparison: Public liability for a small upholstery business costs about as much a year as recovering a single armchair.

Guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026.

Your premium depends on your business, region and claims history;

we obtain the exact quote for you.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Workshop

For: one or two person upholstery working mainly in the workshop

  • Business liability
  • Business contents

Together about €550 to €1,150 a year

Request this package

02

Interior furnisher

For: business with fitting, flooring and a van

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Car insurance
  • Business legal expenses

Together about €1,900 to €3,800 a year

Request this package

03

All round

For: master business with showroom, staff and several vehicles

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Car insurance
  • Business interruption
  • Machinery breakdown
  • Business legal expenses

Together about €3,500 to €7,000 a year

Request this package

The worst day in the upholstery workshop

Six claims upholsterers and interior furnishers really see, all on one day. Click through and see who pays.

Damage so far€70,000
  1. Laying carpet, the knife cuts into the oak parquet in the customer's hallway.

    €3,800 · Paid by: Business liability

  2. Fitting a curtain rail, an employee drills into a water pipe. The ceiling below is soaked.

    €9,500 · Paid by: Business liability

  3. While unloading, the van is hit by a car reversing out of a space.

    €4,200 · Paid by: Car insurance

  4. The industrial sewing machine breaks down in the middle of a rush job.

    €2,600 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown

  5. A customer disputes the invoice for six recovered chairs, claiming the fabric is wrong.

    €1,900 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

  6. A cable fire in the workshop destroys the fabric stock and four customers' sofas.

    €48,000 · Paid by: Business contents

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €70,000

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Have third party property written into your contents policy, with a sum that covers a full workshop.
  2. Agree cover for damage to items being worked on; without it, liability usually does not pay for the piece itself.
  3. Photograph valuable pieces on arrival and agree a value in writing.
  4. Store foam and fabric away from heaters and switch machines off at night.
  5. If you also lay floors or fit blinds, tell the insurer.
  6. Check whether furniture in your van is covered in transit.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We close the care and custody gap

As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares several insurers and makes sure customers' furniture in workshop and van is really covered.

We know property claims

In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. We know how to prove the value and repair of a damaged piece.

Business and private in one place

Workshop, vehicles, home and pension are handled together; one call is enough.

Family run since 1989

Our advice is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

What insurance does an upholsterer need in Germany?

Mainly public liability including damage to items worked on,

and contents insurance that includes customers' furniture.

With a van, motor liability is compulsory.

Is public liability compulsory for interior furnishers?

Not by law.

Many clients, property managers and commercial customers ask for proof before awarding work.

What does insurance for an upholstery business cost?

From our quoting work, public liability for a small business starts at about €250 a year and

contents insurance at about €300.

Do I need a master craftsman qualification?

Raumausstatter is a licensed craft under Annex A of the German Crafts Code,

so registration in the crafts register generally requires a master qualification or an equivalent.

Who pays if I damage the floor at a customer's home?

Public liability, as the floor is not the item you are working on.

Damage to the piece itself needs the extra cover for items being worked on.

Are my employees covered for accidents at work?

Yes, employees are insured by law through the Berufsgenossenschaft.

As the owner you can join voluntarily.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Upholsterer

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

Car insurance in Germany (liability, partial and fully comprehensive)

Most precise with the HSN and TSN codes from the registration document

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

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

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Who pays if the dishwasher hose leaks after we fitted the kitchen?

Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

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