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Are garages and outbuildings covered by buildings insurance in Germany?

In short

Only if they are listed in the policy or the tariff expressly includes them. Many German policies cover small outbuildings such as a garden shed up to about 25 to 40 square metres at no extra cost. Garages and carports often have to be named. Adding a garage to your house policy usually costs only about EUR 10 to 20 a year.

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Are garages and outbuildings covered by buildings insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Published rules and values for outbuildings, plus our own conversion to the premium.

Example	Typical range
Garden house or shed up to about 25 to 40 m², policy that includes it	EUR 0 extra
Garage with sum insured in 1914 values	plus 700 Marks (1914 value), just under EUR 10,000 rebuilding value in 2018
Single garage in the house policy, house premium about EUR 450	about EUR 10 to 20 a year more
Double garage in the house policy, house premium about EUR 450	about EUR 20 to 40 a year more

As of September 2026. The area limits and the garage value come from public sources. The garage premiums are guide values from our quoting practice, converted via the share of the sum insured; we obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Family home with a detached garage and garden house

How to get the whole plot covered when a garage and garden house are added after buying the house.

House, current premium	EUR 450 a year
Detached garage, named in the policy	about EUR 10 to 20
Garden house 12 m², included in the policy	EUR 0
Fence and gate for an extra premium	a few euros, depending on the policy

Together about EUR 460 to 480 a year, and after a loss there is no argument about whether the garage is covered.

What counts as an outbuilding

Outbuildings (Nebengebäude) stand on the same plot but are not firmly joined to the house: a detached garage, carport, garden shed or tool shed. An attached garage under the same roof usually counts as part of the house itself.

Each policy handles outbuildings differently. Some set a floor area limit, some a value limit, and others require every building to be named individually.

Structure	Usual position	What to do
attached garage	usually part of the house	state living space and construction correctly
detached garage	often only if named	have it listed in the policy
carport	free, surcharged or via the sum insured, depending on policy	ask explicitly
garden shed up to about 25 to 40 m²	free in many policies	check the limit in your terms
fence, wall, pool, kennel	usually not covered	add for an extra premium

What a garage adds to the premium

Many German policies calculate the sum insured in 1914 values (Wert 1914), a notional price level that is indexed to today's building costs. Insurers often add a flat 700 Marks (1914 value) per garage, twice that for a double garage. This is not a cap: after a total loss, the cost of rebuilding counts.

The premium rises in the same proportion as the sum insured. For a typical family home a garage therefore adds only a few percent, usually around EUR 10 to 20 a year. A separate policy just for a garage almost always costs much more.

Gaps people often discover only after a loss

If you build a garden house or carport after taking out the policy, you must report it. Otherwise the new building may not be covered, or the sum insured may no longer be enough.

Vandalism to outbuildings is not included in every policy. And what is inside, such as a lawnmower, bikes or tools, is not part of buildings insurance but of contents insurance (Hausratversicherung), often with low limits for outbuildings.

When you need to do nothing

If you only have a small tool shed and your policy includes outbuildings up to a certain size, it is already covered. A look at the terms is enough.

A simple shed worth a few hundred euros does not have to be insured at any price. It matters for garages, large garden houses and buildings with electricity or heating.

Step by step

List every structure on the plot with size and construction.
Check the policy schedule to see which ones are named.
Find the limit for outbuildings covered at no extra cost in the terms.
Report any missing garages, carports and larger garden houses.
Add fences, walls or a pool for an extra premium if needed.
Check the contents of outbuildings against your contents insurance.

Checklist

Every detached garage named in the policy schedule
Carport expressly included
Area limit for garden house and shed known
New buildings reported after the policy started
Garage at another address listed separately
Contents of the garage covered by contents insurance

Common mistakes

Assuming everything on the plot is automatically covered
Not reporting a new garden house or carport
Forgetting the garage two streets away
Expecting buildings insurance to pay for tools and bikes in the garage

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is a carport covered by buildings insurance?

Only if your policy includes it or it is named in the contract. Some insurers include it for free, others charge extra.

Do I have to report a new garden house?

Yes, if it exceeds your policy's limit for outbuildings. If in doubt, report it; it costs little.

Is a garage at another address covered?

Only if it is expressly named in the policy. Otherwise it needs its own cover.

Is my garden fence covered?

Usually not. Most insurers let you add fences, walls and similar structures for an extra premium.

Does buildings insurance pay for the car in the garage?

No. Your car insurance is responsible for the car, your contents insurance for the rest of what is inside.

What does Wert 1914 mean in my policy?

It is a notional value based on 1914 building prices that insurers index to current costs. It keeps your sum insured in line with rebuilding costs.

Sources

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