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What should I do first after a flood in Germany?

In short

What should I do first after a flood in Germany? Stay safe: do not enter a flooded basement while power may be on. Then photograph everything, report the claim to your insurer straight away and do what keeps the damage small, as § 82 VVG requires. Pumping out a basement often costs EUR 600 to 2,500. Only natural hazards cover (Elementarschutz) pays for flood damage to your home.

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What it costs

Published costs in Germany for pumping, drying and repairs after a basement has flooded, as of 2026.

Example	Typical range
Pumping out a basement of up to 50 square metres	about EUR 600 to 2,500
Basement heavily silted or contaminated with heating oil	up to about EUR 4,000, plus hazardous waste
Drying after a flood	about EUR 3,000 to 15,000
Repairing a flooded basement of 60 to 100 square metres	about EUR 8,000 to 18,000
Dehumidifier from a specialist rental firm	about EUR 6 to 15 a day plus VAT
Electricity per dehumidifier	about EUR 3 to 7 a day

Guide values as of October 2026, from published tradesman and rental prices in Germany.

After large floods, firms and equipment are scarce and prices can be higher.

The deductible in the example is a guide value from our quoting practice.

Worked example

River bursts its banks, 70 square metre basement fills with 60 centimetres of water

Detached house with natural hazards cover. The owners wait for the water level to fall before pumping, photograph everything and report the claim the next morning.

Pumping out and removing mud	about EUR 800 to 2,500
Three dehumidifiers for four weeks, rent and electricity	about EUR 760 to 1,850
Renewing screed, plaster and floors in the basement	about EUR 8,000 to 18,000
Deductible in the natural hazards add-on	for example EUR 500

The damage comes to about EUR 9,560 to 22,350. With natural hazards cover the insurer pays everything except the agreed deductible, as far as the costs are covered by the policy. Without the add-on, the owners pay it all themselves.

The first hours: people before property

A flooded basement can be live. Switch off the fuses only if you can reach the fuse box with dry feet. If the box itself is under water, call the fire brigade (112) or your local grid operator.

Wait with pumping until the flood has drained away and the groundwater has dropped. If you pump too early, water pressing from outside can crack walls and lift the floor slab, and the structural damage becomes bigger than the water damage. Follow the advice of your municipality (Gemeinde).

If you smell heating oil or see a film on the water, call the fire brigade. Have the electrics, oil tank and heating checked by professionals before you switch anything back on.

Photos and reporting before you clear up

Photograph every room before you carry anything out: the water mark on the wall, floors, furniture, heating and appliances. Hold a folding rule against the highest water line. A short video per room helps as well.

Report the claim as early as possible, separately to your building insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) and your contents insurance (Hausratversicherung). Ask whether an assessor will come and what you should do until then. Note the date, time and the name of the person you spoke to. A short email in English is fine; keep a copy.

Keep damaged items until the insurer has seen them or allowed disposal. Spoiled food and heavily soiled upholstery may go earlier for hygiene reasons; photograph and list them first.

Your duty under German law: keep the damage small

Under § 82 (1) of the Insurance Contract Act (VVG) you must, as far as possible, avert or reduce the damage once a loss has occurred. You follow the insurer's instructions where reasonable and ask for them if the situation allows (§ 82 (2) VVG).

If you breach this duty on purpose, you lose your claim; with gross negligence the insurer may reduce payment in proportion to the severity of your fault (§ 82 (3) VVG). Leaving the basement wet for weeks until mould grows can count.

The cost of these measures, for example pumps, dehumidifiers and electricity, must be reimbursed by the insurer under § 83 (1) VVG, even if they fail, as far as you could consider them necessary. On request the insurer must pay the amount needed in advance.

Measure	When
Have the power switched off	immediately, if safe
Photos and video of all rooms	before clearing up
Report the claim, ask for instructions	the same or the next day
Pump out water, remove mud	once the groundwater has dropped
Have wet insulation, carpets and plasterboard checked	after agreeing with the insurer
Set up dehumidifiers, note the meter reading	as early as possible
Have electrics, heating and oil tank checked	before switching back on

Which insurance pays for what

Building insurance only pays for floods with the natural hazards add-on (Elementarschadenversicherung). In the model conditions of the German insurance industry, flooding means the plot is covered by considerable amounts of surface water from a river bursting its banks, from rain, or from groundwater rising to the surface for that reason. Groundwater that only seeps in from below through the wall is not covered.

Furniture, clothes and appliances are paid by contents insurance, again only with the natural hazards add-on. A flooded car is usually covered by partial cover (Teilkasko). Depending on the policy, natural hazards cover can also include clearing up, moving and protecting belongings, and a hotel if the house cannot be lived in, each up to the agreed limits.

Without natural hazards cover, the building insurance pays nothing for the flood. Ask your municipality about emergency aid, keep all receipts anyway and add the cover for the future.

Tradespeople and drying

You may order emergency work such as pumping, sealing and drying right away. For larger work, such as removing screed or plaster, talk to the insurer first so the assessor can still see the condition.

Have the moisture measured before re-plastering or laying new floors. Wet insulation under the screed often needs weeks. Closing it up too early leads to mould and to arguments about the follow-on damage.

Be careful with pumps and dehumidifiers sold for prepayment in unknown online shops. Fake sellers appear after big floods.

Step by step

Get yourself and others to safety; do not enter flooded rooms that may be live.
Switch off the power only if the fuse box is dry and reachable, otherwise call the fire brigade or grid operator.
Photograph and film every room with the water level before moving anything.
Report the claim to building and contents insurance and ask for instructions.
Pump out once the groundwater has dropped, then remove mud and ventilate.
Set up dehumidifiers, note the meter reading, have the moisture measured.
Keep damaged items and make a list with year of purchase and price.
Collect and submit all invoices, rental receipts and photos.

Checklist

Photos and video of all rooms before clearing up
Claim numbers from building and contents insurance noted
Insurer's instructions recorded in writing
Electricity meter read before setting up dehumidifiers
List of damaged items with value and year of purchase
Electrics, heating and oil tank checked by a professional
All receipts for pumps, dehumidifiers, hotel and tradespeople kept

Common mistakes

Entering a flooded basement before the power is safely off
Pumping the basement dry while there is still flood water outside
Throwing away furniture and flooring before photographing and reporting it
Doing nothing and waiting for the assessor until mould grows
Re-plastering walls while the insulation is still wet
Reporting only to building insurance and forgetting contents insurance

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

May I hire tradespeople straight after the flood?

For emergency work such as pumping and drying, yes;

that is part of your duty to keep the damage small.

Agree larger demolition work with the insurer first.

Who pays the electricity for the dehumidifiers?

With a covered loss it counts as a cost of reducing the damage,

which the insurer reimburses under § 83 VVG.

Read the meter before setting up and after removal.

Do I have to wait for the assessor?

Not for everything.

Document thoroughly and start pumping and drying.

If you do nothing for weeks, the insurer may cut payment because of the follow-on damage.

Does insurance pay anything without natural hazards cover?

Not for flood damage to the building or your belongings.

A flooded car is usually covered by partial cover (Teilkasko).

Ask your municipality about aid.

I rent my flat. What do I have to do?

Tell your landlord at once; the building is their responsibility.

Your own furniture is paid by your contents insurance if it includes natural hazards cover.

What if heating oil is floating in the water?

Do not pump it out yourself; call the fire brigade.

Have the tank checked by a specialist afterwards.

Can I ask for an advance payment?

Yes.

For the costs of reducing the damage,

the insurer must pay the necessary amount in advance if you ask, under § 83 (1) VVG.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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