All about this insurance: Self-build insurance
What insurance do I need to build a house in Germany?
Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Self-build insurance
In short
Often not, if your personal liability policy (Privathaftpflicht) covers building projects up to a construction sum above your renovation costs; good policies cover EUR 100,000 to 500,000, some without limit. You do need builder's liability insurance (Bauherrenhaftpflicht) if the renovation costs more, the house is rented out or your policy excludes building work. It costs about EUR 70 to 200 once.
One off premiums for separate builder's liability covering the whole building period, from published comparison figures.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Construction sum EUR 350,000, no DIY work | about EUR 67 to 204 once |
| Construction sum EUR 350,000, of which EUR 175,000 DIY work | about EUR 67 to 631 once |
| Construction sum EUR 700,000, no DIY work | about EUR 114 to 392 once |
| Renovation EUR 150,000 with little DIY work | about EUR 60 to 150 once |
| Building risk in a good personal liability policy | construction sum EUR 100,000 to 500,000 at no extra cost |
Figures for EUR 350,000 and 700,000 come from a broker's published tariff comparison and are a
guide value from quoting practice,
as are the figure for EUR 150,000 and the typical costs in the table.
The construction sum limits in personal liability come from a consumer comparison, March 2026.
Cover usually ends when the work is finished.
Worked example
Roof, windows, heating and wiring are replaced, some work they do themselves. Their personal liability covers building projects up to EUR 100,000.
| Trade firms | EUR 145,000 |
| Own work, demolition and drywall | EUR 15,000 |
| Construction sum | EUR 160,000, above the limit |
| Separate builder's liability | about EUR 60 to 150 once |
Personal liability is not enough here. For a one off premium about the price of a tank of fuel the site is covered without risking private assets. Amounts are guide figures from quoting practice.
In Germany the builder (Bauherr) is whoever commissions and pays for the work, not only someone building a new house. If you have the roof, facade, wiring or layout of an existing house redone, you share responsibility for keeping the site safe for neighbours and passers by. You must choose suitable firms and make sure scaffolding, barriers and storage areas are safe.
If a roof tile falls from the scaffolding onto a pedestrian, claims often go to the firm first. If the firm cannot pay or you made a mistake, for example in securing the property, you are liable with your private assets and without limit.
Many German personal liability policies include building projects on a home you own and live in, but only up to a fixed construction sum. Good policies cover EUR 100,000 to 500,000, a few have no limit, older and basic ones often much less. If your policy says nothing about building projects, assume they are not covered.
The construction sum includes trade invoices, materials, architect fees and the value of your own work. If you hire firms for EUR 90,000 and do EUR 20,000 worth of work yourself, you are at EUR 110,000, above a EUR 100,000 limit.
| Project | Typical cost | Personal liability enough? |
|---|---|---|
| New bathroom in your own flat | EUR 15,000 to 30,000 | usually yes, if building projects are included |
| New windows and front door | EUR 15,000 to 40,000 | usually yes |
| New roof with insulation | EUR 40,000 to 90,000 | depends on your limit |
| Full energy renovation of a house | EUR 100,000 to 250,000 | often no, separate policy |
| Renovating a rented house | any amount | no |
Personal liability protects you privately and as owner of the home you live in. For a house you rent out, landlord liability insurance applies, and it too covers building work only up to a certain sum. Above that you need builder's liability.
In a flat it depends on who renovates. Your bathroom, floors and interior walls are your responsibility and fall under your personal liability. Roof, facade, stairwell or shared pipes are commissioned by the owners' association (Eigentümergemeinschaft), whose insurance must cover the project. Ask the property manager.
Up to about EUR 20,000 of your own labour barely affects the premium of builder's liability insurance; above that it often rises steeply. Some personal liability policies exclude DIY building work entirely.
Friends and family who help usually have to be registered with the construction trade accident insurer BG BAU. That is a separate duty and does not replace liability cover.
If employees of more than one employer work on your renovation, for example a roofer, electrician and plumber, the German Construction Site Ordinance (Baustellenverordnung) requires a safety and health coordinator. You can take this on yourself or appoint someone, often the architect.
This is not an insurance matter, but it affects your liability: a builder who coordinates nothing is in a weaker position after an accident. Builder's liability insurance defends you against unjustified claims and pays justified ones; it does not do the coordinating for you.
Builder's liability pays for damage your site causes to others. It does not pay for damage to your own house, such as rain entering through an open roof or stolen new windows.
That is the job of construction all risks insurance (Bauleistungsversicherung). For renovations it is harder to get because the existing old structure is only covered by special agreement. For an interior renovation done by professional firms you rarely need it.
Questions and answers
Usually not.
A bathroom is normally well below the limit of a good personal liability policy,
provided building projects are included.
It covers the firm's mistakes.
It does not cover your own duties as the builder.
No.
It is voluntary, but without it you are liable with your private assets on a large renovation.
Until the work is done, within the maximum term stated in the policy.
Extend it in time if the renovation takes longer.
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All about this insurance: Self-build insurance
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Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated
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