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Insurance for window makers and installers in Germany

Window makers and installers in Germany build in the workshop and then work in people's homes: taking out old frames, fitting heavy units and sealing the joints. A mistake often shows months later as a damp reveal, mould or water in the floor. Add broken glass in transit and accidents at height. Here is what a business should insure and what it costs.

Insurance for window makers and installers

The question almost everyone asks first

Does my public liability pay if a window leaks and water gets into the wall?

The consequential damage to wall, floor and furniture, yes, unless an exclusion applies. Resealing or replacing the window itself is your warranty work and is not insured. Look for good cover for consequential damage from defects and for damage to the building you work on.

What goes wrong in this trade

  1. 01

    Leaking joint

    A fault in membrane or sealant lets driving rain into the wall. Mould shows after the first winter.

  2. 02

    Damage on removal

    Plaster, sills and facade crack when old frames come out, glass falls into the room.

  3. 03

    Glass breakage

    Large units break in transit, lifting or fitting.

  4. 04

    Work at height

    Heavy windows upstairs, ladders, scaffolds and lifting gear: falls and dropped parts injure people.

  5. 05

    Workshop fire

    Wood dust, coatings and machines make fires more likely.

  6. 06

    Defect disputes

    Clients hold back money because windows stick, draught or show condensation.

Risk radar
Liability 5Fire and water 4Theft 3Cyber 2Downtime 3Health 4

Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.

The insurance you need

Essential

Business liability

Third party injury and damage on site and consequential damage from defects, with damage to the building you work on.

Strongly advised

Business contents

Machines, profiles, glass and finished units against fire, burglary and water damage.

Machinery breakdown

CNC machines, PVC welding machines and glass lifters against breakdown and operating errors.

Depends on the business

Cargo insurance

Covers glass and units on your own vans on the way to site.

Accident insurance

For you as owner if you are not voluntarily insured with the statutory accident insurer.

What it costs: example prices

Few insurers publish tariffs for window makers. The premium depends on turnover, the share of installation, the value of your workshop and the limit for consequential damage.

InsuranceExampleTypical range
Business liabilityInstaller with three staff, €5 million limit, with damage to worked on propertyabout €450 to €1,100 a year
Business liabilityManufacture and installation with twelve staffabout €1,500 to €3,500 a year
Business contentsWorkshop with machines, profiles and glass worth €300,000about €1,000 to €2,500 a year
Machinery breakdownCNC machining centre worth €200,000 newabout €900 to €2,000 a year
Cargo insuranceOwn goods in transit, glass and units up to €50,000 per tripabout €250 to €600 a year

For comparison: Public liability for a small installer costs about as much a year as one large uPVC window fitted.

All premiums are guide values from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax,

as of October 2026.

Sources of the price examples

Our suggestions: three packages

01

Installation

For: Business fitting bought in windows and doors

  • Business liability
  • Fleet insurance
  • Cargo insurance

Together about €2,000 to €4,500 a year

Request this package

02

Manufacture

For: Own production in timber, uPVC or aluminium with fitting crews

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Machinery breakdown
  • Fleet insurance
  • Cargo insurance

Together about €5,500 to €12,000 a year

Request this package

03

Full cover

For: Larger business working for developers and housing companies

  • Business liability
  • Business contents
  • Machinery breakdown
  • Fleet insurance
  • Cargo insurance
  • Business legal expenses

Together individual, usually from about €10,000 a year

Request this package

The worst day in window fitting

Six things window makers and installers really go through, all on one Monday in autumn. Tap through and see who pays.

Damage so far€37,000
  1. A large sliding unit cracks on the glass rack on the way to site.

    €4,200 · Paid by: Cargo insurance

  2. A natural stone sill cracks while the old window comes out.

    €1,800 · Paid by: Business liability

  3. A sash slips while being lifted and damages a parked car.

    €5,500 · Paid by: Business liability

  4. A client reports mould: last year's joint leaked, wall and parquet are affected.

    €14,000 · Paid by: Business liability

  5. The profile saw fails after an operating error.

    €8,500 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown

  6. A client withholds the final payment and threatens to sue.

    €3,000 · Paid by: Business legal expenses

Which package would you have had?

Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €37,000

Illustrative amounts before any excess.

What is paid depends on the policy terms.

Practical tips from your broker

  1. Make sure your liability policy covers consequential damage from defects and damage to the building you work on.
  2. Photograph joints before the reveal is plastered.
  3. Insure glass and units in transit, for example with own goods in transit cover.
  4. Record the condition of sills and plaster with the client before removing old frames.
  5. Have lifting gear and vacuum lifters inspected regularly and keep the records.
  6. Agree handover and final payment in writing before fitting the last unit.

Why NAMMERT for your business

We know water damage

In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, and water always finds a way. We know how cause and consequential damage are proven.

We compare wordings

As an insurance broker, Norman Nammert compares how several insurers handle consequential damage and damage to worked on property.

Workshop, vans and personal

Production, vans and your personal cover with one contact.

Broker since 1989

A family business, not tied to any insurer. Our service is free for you; the insurer pays our commission. We advise in English.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is window making a regulated craft in Germany?

There is no separate entry in Annex A of the Crafts Code.

Windows are usually made by joiners, metal workers or glaziers, and those crafts are listed there.

Who pays if a window leaks?

Consequential damage to wall and floor is paid by public liability unless an exclusion applies.

Putting the window right is your warranty work.

Is damage while removing old windows insured?

Only if damage to the building you work on is included.

Ask for written confirmation.

What does insurance cost for a window installer?

In our quoting work a pure installer pays about €2,000 to €4,500 a year,

a business with its own production about €5,500 to €12,000.

Is glass insured in transit?

Not under liability.

You need own goods in transit cover or an extension to your contents policy.

Are my fitters covered for accidents?

Yes, employees are insured by law under section 2 of SGB VII.

As owner you are only covered with voluntary insurance.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Window maker

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

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

Machinery breakdown insurance in Germany

Today's price for equivalent new machines including freight and installation

For example machine list, leasing, security measures, previous claims

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?

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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