Skip to content

Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Self-build insurance

Do I need builder's liability insurance for a renovation in Germany?

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.

Do I need builder's liability insurance for a renovation in Germany?

What it costs

One off premiums for separate builder's liability covering the whole building period, from published comparison figures.

ExampleTypical range
Construction sum EUR 350,000, no DIY workabout EUR 67 to 204 once
Construction sum EUR 350,000, of which EUR 175,000 DIY workabout EUR 67 to 631 once
Construction sum EUR 700,000, no DIY workabout EUR 114 to 392 once
Renovation EUR 150,000 with little DIY workabout EUR 60 to 150 once
Building risk in a good personal liability policyconstruction 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

Couple renovating a 1965 house they bought

Roof, windows, heating and wiring are replaced, some work they do themselves. Their personal liability covers building projects up to EUR 100,000.

Trade firmsEUR 145,000
Own work, demolition and drywallEUR 15,000
Construction sumEUR 160,000, above the limit
Separate builder's liabilityabout 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.

Why a renovation makes you the builder

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.

When personal liability covers your renovation

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.

ProjectTypical costPersonal liability enough?
New bathroom in your own flatEUR 15,000 to 30,000usually yes, if building projects are included
New windows and front doorEUR 15,000 to 40,000usually yes
New roof with insulationEUR 40,000 to 90,000depends on your limit
Full energy renovation of a houseEUR 100,000 to 250,000often no, separate policy
Renovating a rented houseany amountno

Rented homes and owner occupied flats

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.

Doing it yourself changes the price

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.

Several trade firms mean a coordination duty

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 is not construction all risks

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.

Step by step

  1. Add up all renovation costs, including the value of your own work.
  2. Check your personal liability for building projects and the construction sum.
  3. For a rented property check your landlord liability policy.
  4. If you are above the limit, take out builder's liability before work starts.
  5. State your own labour correctly and register helpers with BG BAU.
  6. Appoint a coordinator if several firms are on site.

Checklist

  • Construction sum including own work calculated
  • Limit of personal liability confirmed in writing
  • Policy in place before work starts
  • Sum insured at least EUR 3 million
  • Helpers registered
  • Liability certificates of the firms collected

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting your own labour in the construction sum
  • Relying on personal liability for a rented house
  • Buying cover only once the scaffolding is up
  • Confusing builder's liability with construction all risks

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Do I need builder's liability for a new bathroom?

Usually not.

A bathroom is normally well below the limit of a good personal liability policy,

provided building projects are included.

Is the trade firm's insurance enough?

It covers the firm's mistakes.

It does not cover your own duties as the builder.

Is builder's liability compulsory in Germany?

No.

It is voluntary, but without it you are liable with your private assets on a large renovation.

How long does the policy run?

Until the work is done, within the maximum term stated in the policy.

Extend it in time if the renovation takes longer.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Self-build insurance

We compare insurers and come back to you, in English.

Free; the insurer pays our fee.

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

Self-build insurance for homeowners in Germany (Bauherrenversicherung)

For example slope, basement, adjoining neighbours, documents in English

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Related questions

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

Was this useful?