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Basic
Fire, water, storm and hail at rebuild cost, with tight limits on extra costs and only partial gross negligence cover.
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Wohngebäudeversicherung covers the structure of your house against fire, burst pipes, storm and hail, normally at full rebuild cost. It is not required by law, but every mortgage lender will insist on it, so buyers with a mortgage cannot do without it. Flooding and heavy rain are excluded unless you add natural hazards cover.
The question almost everyone asks first
No, there is no legal obligation. In practice you need it anyway: a bank will not grant a mortgage without it, and when you buy a house the seller's existing policy transfers to you automatically. Owners of a flat in a multi-unit building are usually covered by the owners' association policy. A compulsory element for natural hazards is being discussed politically, but as of September 2026 no law has been passed.
Do the maths
After a total loss the insurer pays what the policy says, no more. If the sum is below the value of the house, even small claims are cut by the same proportion. Run it with your own figures.
This is the rebuild cost, not the market price: the land does not belong in the sum, demolition does. The 2,400 euro per square metre is a middle value, your region may differ.
German insurers often express a house's rebuild cost in marks at 1914 prices. That base figure never changes. Each year it is multiplied by an index that tracks building costs and wages, 27.8 for 2026, so the cover and the premium rise with construction prices without anyone recalculating.
The alternative is a floor area model: you state living space, construction and fittings, and the insurer waives any underinsurance deduction. Whichever model you use, report extensions such as a converted loft, otherwise the waiver can be lost.
Under § 95 of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG), the seller's buildings policy passes to the buyer when ownership changes. You can cancel it within one month of the land register entry, and the insurer can also cancel within a month of learning about the sale (§ 96 VVG).
That is useful, because the house is never uninsured, but it also means you may take over an outdated policy without flood cover and with a low sum insured. Ask the seller for the policy before completion and have it checked.
Most claims come from escaping water: burst pipes, frost, leaking connections. Good policies also cover supply and drain pipes outside the building on your plot, where tree roots are a common cause. Houses with a history of water claims often only get cover with an excess, or not at all.
Heavy rain is different. Water that comes in from outside or backs up from the sewer is not a burst pipe claim. According to the German insurers' association GDV, around 59 percent of homes had natural hazards cover in 2025, so four in ten would not be paid for a flood.
If you let the property, a buildings policy can also cover lost rent while it is being repaired. As a landlord you may pass the premium on to tenants through the service charges. If you own a flat, the building is normally insured through the owners' association and paid via the monthly house money.
Garages, carports, garden sheds, solar panels and jetties need to be declared. A boathouse is an outbuilding and belongs on the buildings policy; the boat inside does not, and for that we offer our own cover concept.
What is covered
What is not covered
Who needs it
Who does not need it
Wheel of misfortune
Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.
Cost:
Buildings insurance in Germany has become noticeably more expensive, driven by construction costs and weather claims. The annual index passes rising building prices straight into your premium. We do not give sample prices, because location, age and past claims matter more than the insurer.
What drives the premium
No sample prices, because they vary widely from house to house. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.
01
Basic
Fire, water, storm and hail at rebuild cost, with tight limits on extra costs and only partial gross negligence cover.
02
Standard
Gross negligence waived, drain pipes on the plot covered, higher limits for clearing costs and power surge.
03
Premium
Broader all-risks elements, a guarantee to match better market standards, solar panels and outbuildings included.
| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebuild cost basis | gleitender Neuwert agreed | with underinsurance waived | Only then does cover keep pace with building prices. |
| Gross negligence | waived up to €5,000 | waived up to the sum insured | A candle or barbecue left unattended is a classic reason for a reduced payout. |
| Drain pipes | inside the building | also on the plot and beyond | Root damage to drains is common and expensive to dig out. |
| Clearing costs | limited to a percentage | up to the sum insured | Disposal after a fire can be a large share of the claim. |
| Natural hazards | available as add-on | available in all hazard zones | Heavy rain also hits houses far from any river. |
| Lost rent | 12 months | 24 months | Rebuilding after a major loss often takes more than a year. |
| Solar panels | covered for the same perils as the house | all risks including lost feed-in income | Panels are a significant value on the roof. |
Many German property insurers write buildings cover, including regional public insurers. Some accept houses with past claims or in high flood zones only with restrictions. This list is a market overview.
| Insurer | Background |
|---|---|
| Allianz | nationwide, agents and brokers |
| HUK-COBURG | own sales network only, does not work with brokers |
| R+V | insurer of the cooperative banks |
| Provinzial | public insurer within the savings banks group, regional focus |
| VHV | Hanover-based, strong in broker business |
| Württembergische | part of the W&W group, agents and brokers |
| Rhion | part of the RheinLand group, sold through brokers |
| AXA | agents and brokers |
| Alte Leipziger | mostly broker distribution |
Compare the wordings of all tariffs 75 tariffs from 35 providers, as of 24 October 2026
From the BaFin register
155
155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.
(Feuer, Sturm, Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden)
Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.
1914 value policy
Traditional valuation with a questionnaire or survey. Suited to unusual or large houses.
Floor area policy
Priced on living space, construction and fittings, with underinsurance waived. Simple for standard houses.
Natural hazards add-on
Flood, heavy rain, backflow, earthquake, subsidence, landslide, snow load, avalanche and volcanic eruption.
Solar add-on
Extends cover for roof panels to all risks, often with lost income.
Myth or truth
Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.
Buildings insurance is compulsory for homeowners in Germany.
This is false.
No, there is no legal requirement. Your mortgage lender will almost always ask for proof of cover, though, and without it every fire is your loss alone.
German insurers only call it a storm once the wind reaches force 8.
This is true.
Yes, that is the usual definition, around 62 km/h. If weaker wind is recorded nearby, the local reading from the German weather service can still settle it.
If your neighbour's tree falls on your roof in a storm, the neighbour pays.
This is false.
Not usually. It is a storm claim on your own policy. The neighbour is only liable if the tree was visibly diseased and they ignored it.
Your buildings policy can pay to clear the rubble after a fire.
This is true.
Yes, clearance, demolition and disposal costs are included. Basic policies cap them, stronger ones pay up to the full sum insured.
Solar panels on the roof make no difference to your buildings policy.
This is false.
They do. The panels raise the rebuild value and must be declared, otherwise the whole house may end up underinsured.
Questions and answers
Wohngebäude covers the building: walls, roof, fixed installations.
Hausrat covers what is inside: furniture, clothes, electronics.
A simple test is to imagine turning the house upside down; whatever falls out belongs to Hausrat.
Only if you add natural hazards cover (Elementarschadenversicherung).
Standard policies exclude flooding, heavy rain and sewer backflow.
Government aid after floods has been limited in recent years, so do not rely on it.
Yes.
The lender can require cover and ask to be noted on the policy,
but it cannot force you to use its partner insurer.
You simply provide proof of an adequate policy.
Often yes, as part of the building and against the same perils as the house.
Operating errors, theft, short circuits and lost feed-in income are usually not included.
For those you need dedicated solar panel insurance.
You normally receive only the current value of the building, not the full rebuild cost.
The full amount is paid when reconstruction is carried out or guaranteed within the period set in
the policy, typically three years.
Usually not.
German law makes adequate insurance of the common property part of proper management by the
owners' association,
and the cost is shared through the monthly house money.
You still need contents insurance for your belongings.
Yes.
After a claim both sides have a right to cancel.
Insurers use it mainly after repeated water damage.
If that happens, keep evidence of any pipe renovation, as new insurers will ask.
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Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.
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