All about this insurance: Buildings insurance
Is buildings insurance mandatory in Germany?
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Is a wallbox covered by buildings insurance in Germany?
In short
Usually yes, if the wallbox is permanently wired to the insured house. Buildings insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) then pays after fire, lightning, storm, hail and burst pipes. Theft, vandalism, operating errors and short circuits inside the unit are often not covered by basic cover. Tell your insurer about the wallbox so the sum insured is right.
What it costs
What a wallbox costs and what cover for it costs, based on published guide figures.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Wallbox unit, basic to premium | about EUR 300 to 2,000 |
| Installation in a detached house | about EUR 500 to 1,500, more if complex |
| Typical 11 kW wallbox including installation | about EUR 1,200 to 3,500 |
| Solar add-on in buildings insurance, wallbox often includable | about EUR 35 to 120 a year |
| Tenant's own wallbox in contents insurance | often EUR 0 extra, reporting it is enough |
As of September 2026. Under basic buildings cover the wallbox rarely costs a separate premium, it only raises the value of the building. Insurers price a pure technology add-on for the wallbox differently; as a guide value from our quoting practice, expect about EUR 20 to 60 a year. We obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Detached house with a wallbox on the carport
An 11 kW wallbox costing EUR 2,400 including installation hangs on an open carport. The carport is included in the policy as an outbuilding.
| Hail damages the casing and display | basic cover pays, minus any deductible |
| Lightning knocks out the electronics | basic cover pays if power surges are included |
| Charging unit fails after three years | basic cover does not pay, a technology add-on usually does |
| Charging cable is stolen | basic cover does not pay, an add-on may |
Without an add-on you carry the most common wallbox losses yourself. With EUR 2,400 of equipment in an open spot, the add-on is usually worth it.
Why the wallbox belongs to the house
German buildings insurance covers the building and everything firmly attached to it. A wallbox screwed to the wall of the house or garage and wired into the home's electrics normally falls under it.
A mobile charger that simply plugs into a socket is different: it counts as contents. If the wallbox sits on a carport or a post in the yard, that outbuilding or part of the property has to be included in the policy.
What is paid and what is not
Basic cover handles the classic perils. If the garage burns down or lightning strikes, the wallbox is included. Power surges from lightning are covered in many tariffs, often only up to a limit.
The typical wallbox problems are different though: a failed charging unit, a short circuit in the device, a cable damaged by reversing into it, or theft from an open carport. Basic cover usually does not pay for those.
| Damage | Basic buildings cover | With technology or all risks add-on |
|---|---|---|
| Fire in the garage | yes | yes |
| Lightning and power surge | often yes, sometimes with a limit | yes |
| Storm or hail at the carport | yes, if the carport is insured | yes |
| Short circuit inside the unit | usually no | usually yes |
| Operating error or car hitting it | usually no | usually yes |
| Theft or vandalism | no | depends on the tariff |
What is different if you come from abroad
In Germany, cover for the building and for your belongings are two separate policies, and liability towards other people is a third one (Privathaftpflichtversicherung). A wallbox can touch all three, so it helps to know which policy you actually hold.
Installation must be done by a registered electrician and the wallbox registered with the local grid operator. Keep the invoice. A self-installed unit can cost you your cover.
When an add-on is worth it
A cheap wallbox for a few hundred euros inside a locked garage is often fine with basic cover. You would pay for a defect yourself, which is manageable.
An expensive or bidirectional wallbox on an open carport is another matter. Then an add-on for home technology or all risks cover that includes defects, operating errors and theft makes sense. If you have solar panels, the wallbox can often be added to their insurance.
Tenants and flat owners
If you rent and bought the wallbox yourself, it usually belongs in your contents insurance, and many tariffs include it at no extra cost once you report it. If the landlord provided it, the landlord's buildings insurance is responsible.
In a block of owner occupied flats (Eigentümergemeinschaft) the wallbox runs through the community's buildings insurance if it has been reported there. Clarify with the property manager who reports it and who pays.
Step by step
- Find the invoice for the wallbox and installation and note the value.
- Inform your insurer about the new wallbox in writing.
- Check whether the carport or garage is included in the policy.
- Look up the limit for power surges from lightning.
- Decide whether you want defects, operating errors and theft covered by an add-on.
- Ask the insurer first if you charge for others or bill a company car.
Checklist
- Wallbox reported to the insurer
- Carport or garage included as an outbuilding
- Power surge cover with a sufficient limit
- Expensive unit outdoors: technology or all risks add-on
- Personal liability or landlord liability insurance in place
- Installed by a registered electrician, invoice kept
Common mistakes
- Assuming the wallbox is covered for everything because it hangs on the house
- Forgetting the carport the wallbox is mounted on
- Wiring the wallbox yourself instead of hiring an electrician
- Not listing your own wallbox in contents insurance as a tenant
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do I have to tell my buildings insurer about the wallbox?
You should. It raises the value of the building, and the insurer needs to know a high power charger has been added.
Does buildings insurance pay if the wallbox breaks?
Only for insured perils such as fire, lightning, storm or burst pipes. A technical fault without an outside cause is usually not covered by basic cover.
Is the charging cable covered?
A fixed cable is part of the wallbox. A loose cable kept in the car is more a matter for car insurance, and some tariffs include it explicitly.
What if the wallbox starts a fire?
Damage to your own house is paid by buildings insurance. Damage to neighbours or other people's cars goes through your liability insurance.
Can I get documents in English?
Some insurers offer English service, many do not. The German policy wording applies in a claim, so ask us if a clause is unclear.
Sources
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