Glass insurance in Germany: when cover for hobs, windows and aquariums pays off
German glass insurance, Glasversicherung, pays when glass breaks for any everyday reason: a pan dropped on the hob, a ball through the patio door, a cracked aquarium. Your contents and buildings policies only pay for broken glass after fire, storm or burglary. Glass cover is voluntary and usually added to one of those two policies.
It is not compulsory. It makes sense if your home has a lot of expensive glass: a ceramic or induction hob, a conservatory, large glass fronts, a glass shower screen or a big aquarium. With ordinary windows and no glass ceramic hob, a breakage usually costs a few hundred euros that you could carry yourself. If you rent, remember that windows and doors belong to the building, and the landlord has often insured them already.
Furniture glass and building glass: two halves, often two policies
German insurers split glass into two groups. Gebäudeverglasung, building glass, is everything fixed into the structure: windows, glass doors, conservatories, glass roofs and shower screens. Mobiliarverglasung, furniture glass, is what you would take with you when you move: glass table tops, display cabinets, mirrors, picture glass, aquariums and terrariums, plus the ceramic or induction hob, even though it is built into the kitchen.
That is why furniture glass is normally attached to contents insurance (Hausrat) and building glass to buildings insurance (Wohngebäude). Homeowners need both halves. Some insurers sell glass cover on its own, many only together with one of their own contents or buildings policies.
What your contents and buildings policies already pay
If a pane breaks in a fire, a storm, a hailstorm, through escaping water or during a burglary, the Hausrat or Wohngebäude policy already pays, depending on who owns the glass. Glass insurance is for everything else: the dropped pan, the knock with the vacuum cleaner, the stress crack, the hand that hits the door.
If someone else broke the glass, for example the neighbour's child with a football, they are liable and their personal liability insurance pays. Your own glass cover helps when nobody is liable or the culprit is unknown.
Renting in Germany: who owns the window
In a rented flat, the windows, balcony door and glass shower belong to the landlord. Many landlords insure the building's glass and pass the premium on through the service charge statement (Nebenkostenabrechnung). The German operating costs regulation, § 2 No. 13 BetrKV, lists glass insurance explicitly, and it can be charged if your tenancy agreement says so.
As a tenant, what usually remains for you is the furniture glass: hob, glass table, mirrors and aquarium. Extra cover for the flat's building glass is worth it if the landlord has none and you are responsible for glass damage yourself.
What is covered
Breakage of windows, glass doors and glass roofs, if building glass is included
Glass table tops, display cabinets, mirrors and picture glass
Ceramic and induction hobs
Aquariums and terrariums
Cost of emergency glazing or boarding up until the repair
Depending on the policy, conservatories, shower screens, plastic panes and skylights
Depending on the policy, scaffolding, cranes and removing obstacles
What is not covered
Scratches, chips and other surface damage
Drinking glasses, vases, light bulbs and tableware
Spectacles, optical lenses and screens of phones, tablets and TVs
Frames and fittings, unless expressly included
Damage while the glass is being fitted, altered or moved
Breakage from fire, storm or burglary that Hausrat or Wohngebäude already pays
Who needs it
Households with a ceramic or induction hob
Homeowners with a conservatory, glass roof, large glass fronts or a glass shower
Owners of large aquariums and terrariums
Families with small children, pets or keen footballers in the garden
Tenants whose landlord has not insured the building glass
Who does not need it
If you only have standard windows, no glass ceramic hob and little glass furniture, the premiums over the years often exceed what a breakage would cost.
Wheel of misfortune
Spin the wheel of bad luck
Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.
Cost:
Budget policy Strong policy
See all six cases
Cast iron pan cracks the hob, new hob, often several hundred euros. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. The hob is furniture glass. Any glass add-on to Hausrat pays for the breakage; Hausrat on its own does not.
Football through the patio door, new pane including fitting. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. The patio door is building glass, so furniture-only cover does not pay. If the kicker is known, their liability insurance does.
Crack in the conservatory roof, pane, scaffolding and fitting. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Only extended policies include conservatories and glass roofs, often with scaffolding and crane costs.
Aquarium bursts in the lounge, tank and possibly the water damage. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Furniture glass cover pays for the tank. Damage to the floor from the water depends on your Hausrat terms.
Scratches in the glass table, polishing or a new top. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Only breakage is insured. No glass policy pays for scratches or chips on the surface.
Shattered phone screen, repair by the manufacturer. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Screens of phones, tablets and TVs are not insured glazing. Separate device insurance covers those.
What it costs
Glass cover is one of the cheaper add-ons in Germany. The premium depends on whether only furniture glass or building glass as well is covered, on the size of the home and on whether you agree an excess.
Example
Typical range
Glass cover for a flat, as an add-on
about €20 to €80 a year
What drives the premium
Furniture glass only, or building glass as well
Floor area; some insurers charge a flat rate regardless of glass surface
Conservatory, glass roof and special glazing
Excess per claim
Add-on to an existing policy or standalone contract
Guide figure from published German market comparisons, 2026. Lower with an excess, clearly higher with a large conservatory. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.
The policy levels on the market
01
Furniture glass
Hob, glass table, mirrors, cabinets and aquarium. The usual choice for tenants, mostly linked to Hausrat.
02
Furniture and building glass
Adds windows, glass doors and shower screens. For owners, and for tenants whose landlord has no glass cover.
03
Extended glass cover
Also conservatories, glass roofs, plastic panes and skylights without tight size limits, including scaffolding and crane costs.
How to recognise a good policy
Criterion
Minimum standard
Strong policy
Why it matters
Glass covered
furniture glass
furniture and building glass in one policy
Covering only one half leaves a gap you notice when the patio door breaks.
Ceramic hob
included
included, induction too, no age limit
In many homes the hob is the most expensive piece of glass.
Conservatory and glass roof
not covered
included, no size limit
Large overhead panes are costly and often need scaffolding.
Plastic glazing
real glass only
acrylic, polycarbonate and skylights too
Carports, canopies and conservatories often use plastic panes.
Additional costs
emergency glazing
emergency glazing, scaffolding, crane and removing obstacles
With large panes, the work around the glass often costs more than the glass.
Excess
€150 per claim
none
Many glass claims are a few hundred euros, so a high excess swallows a large share.
Insurers on the German market
Almost every contents and buildings insurer in Germany offers glass cover, most of them only as an add-on to one of their own policies. Documents are usually in German only, and what counts as covered glass differs from policy to policy. This list is a market overview.
Insurer
Background
Allianz
several product lines, tied agents and brokers
HUK-COBURG
own branch offices only, does not work with brokers
ERGO
part of Munich Re, agents, brokers and direct sales
Württembergische
part of the W&W group in Stuttgart, agents and brokers
HanseMerkur
Hamburg insurer, also sells glass cover on its own
VHV
Hanover insurer with strong broker distribution
Interlloyd
property insurer of the ARAG group, broker distribution