Which insurance do you need to build a house in Germany?

Guide figures from published information for a family home in Germany, as of September 2026. BG BAU contributions are set officially.

Many policies come up when you build in Germany, and not all are needed. The table ranks them by urgency. Premiums are for a family home with building costs of about EUR 250,000 to 400,000 and are usually paid once for the whole build.

As the owner of the project (Bauherr) you must make sure your site is not a danger to others. That applies even if contractors do all the work. If a passer-by falls into the excavation, you are liable.

The policy pays justified claims and defends you against unjustified ones. You don't need it if your personal liability policy (Privathaftpflicht) covers building projects up to your building cost, or if a developer (Bauträger) builds on their own land and only hands the house over when finished.

Many insurers cover the shell against fire, lightning and explosion free of charge for 12 to 24 months if you take out buildings insurance for the finished house with them. After you move in, or when that period ends, it becomes normal buildings insurance with a premium.

The limit: storm, hail, theft and vandalism are not included. A roof torn off by a storm during the build is not paid by this cover. Check the free period too: some insurers give only six months, which is rarely enough for a masonry house.

If friends, neighbours or relatives work on the build, you must register them with BG BAU whether you pay them or not. Your spouse does not count. Only very short jobs are exempt, currently up to 40 hours in total.

The 2026 contribution is helper hours × EUR 15.82 notional wage × 7.6692 percent. That is about EUR 1.21 per hour, so roughly EUR 243 for 200 hours. The minimum is EUR 100.

You yourself are not automatically covered by this. BG BAU offers voluntary cover, or you can check whether your private accident insurance is enough.

This cover pays when the new building itself is damaged before you accept it: a storm knocks down a freshly built wall, heavy rain floods the basement, vandals smash windows. Without it, owner and contractors often argue about who pays.

It is mainly worth it for masonry houses with a long build, many separate trades and a lot of DIY work. It is less needed if a general contractor or prefab house supplier already insures the work until handover. Ask before you pay twice.