# Insurance for electrical contractors in Germany

> A swapped conductor, a loose terminal, a short circuit in the distribution board: an electrician's mistake often shows up weeks later, and then as a fire. Add tool cases stolen from the van and expensive test equipment. This page sets out what your business should insure and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-electrician.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Will the insurer pay if a cable fire breaks out months after my job?

Yes. Your public liability policy pays for the fire damage to the building and to other people's property, even if the work was accepted long ago. That is known as consequential damage. Redoing the faulty installation itself remains your own cost. What matters is that the policy is still running when the damage happens, or that run-off cover has been agreed.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory insurance duty for the business itself; motor liability for every company vehicle, and many grid operators and clients ask for proof of liability cover
- **Biggest risk:** Fire or injury caused by a faulty installation, often long after the work was signed off
- **Basic cover from:** about €100 a year for the public and products liability of a one-person business with a small turnover
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BG ETEM, the Berufsgenossenschaft for energy, textiles and electrical trades; membership is compulsory from your first employee
- **Often forgotten:** Tools and test equipment in the van are usually not covered by ordinary business contents insurance
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 43.21 Elektroinstallation

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Fire after the installation:** Loose terminals, undersized cables or a forgotten circuit breaker cause smouldering fires. The damage hits an entire building and often only appears months later.
- **Power surges and electronics:** While you rewire the meter cabinet, a voltage spike runs through the house: the customer's heating controls, television and server are ruined.
- **Drilling into pipes:** When chasing walls and drilling, you hit water pipes or underfloor heating. The water runs into the flat below.
- **Electric shock:** An employee works on a circuit that someone has switched back on. Accidents with electricity quickly lead to severe burns.
- **Tool theft:** Cordless tools, testers and cable drums in the van are sought after by thieves. An emptied van easily costs five figures plus several lost working days.
- **Smart home and networks:** If you set up networks, cameras and smart home systems, you are also liable for data breaches and financial losses when the system does not do what it should.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 3, Theft 4, Cyber 2, Downtime 3, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for fire, surge and water damage arising from your installation, even years later. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cargo insurance** (Strongly advised): Goods in transit and tools cover protects tools, test equipment and materials in the van and on site against theft and accidents. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cargo-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces stock, materials and office equipment at new value after fire, burglary, storm and escape of water. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Covers expensive testers, thermal imaging cameras and laptops against operating errors, drops and moisture as well. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Fleet insurance** (Strongly advised): From three vans upwards, a fleet policy is usually cheaper and simpler than many single policies. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-fleet-insurance.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): A fall from a ladder or an electric shock can end your work on building sites for good; income protection keeps money coming in. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For businesses that install networks, cameras and building controls and look after their customers' login details. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): Business legal expenses cover helps in disputes over unpaid invoices, sign-offs and variations with clients and main contractors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php

## What it costs: example prices

For electricians, the liability premium depends mainly on turnover and on whether you only do installations or also build solar panels, charging points or industrial systems. Prices for the same cover vary widely between insurers, so comparing pays off.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | One-person business, €50,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €100 to €500 a year |
| Business liability | Business with €250,000 turnover, €5 million cover | about €140 to €1,300 a year |
| Cargo insurance | Tools in transit for three vehicles, up to €10,000 per claim | about €150 to €300 a year |
| Business contents | Stock and office worth €40,000 | about €120 to €300 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Test and measuring equipment worth €15,000 | about €150 to €350 a year |

For comparison: Liability and tools in transit cover for a small electrical business cost about as much per year as five to six hours of an electrician's billed time.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. Liability and tools in transit are based on published tariff examples; contents and electronics are guide values from our own quoting practice. Your premium depends on your business and the insurer; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [betriebshaftpflicht24.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Elektriker](https://www.betriebshaftpflicht24.de/betriebshaftpflicht-elektriker.html)
- [handwerk.com: Werkzeug absichern unterwegs und auf der Baustelle](https://www.handwerk.com/tipps-werkverkehrsversicherung-fuer-handwerker)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (new business, one person with one van): Business liability, Cargo insurance. Together: about €250 to €700 a year
- **Master business** (two to eight employees, a store and several vehicles): Business liability, Cargo insurance, Business contents, Electronic equipment. Together: about €700 to €2,000 a year
- **All round** (business with solar, smart home and commercial clients): Business liability, Cargo insurance, Business contents, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about €1,800 to €4,500 a year

## The worst day for an electrical contractor

Six claims that really happen in electrical businesses, all squeezed into a single Thursday. Go through the day and see who pays.

- 06:45: The van was broken into overnight. Cordless drill, hammer drill and the installation tester are gone. (€9,500, Paid by: Cargo insurance)
- 09:20: While chasing a wall, an electrician hits the underfloor heating. Screed and parquet in two rooms have to come out. (€14,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:10: A surge occurs during a meter change. The customer's heating controls, television and router are broken. (€4,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:30: The thermal imaging camera falls off the scaffold onto the tarmac. (€3,800, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 15:50: A customer reports a smouldering fire in the sub-distribution board your team installed four months ago. The kitchen is full of smoke damage. (€68,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 22:15: A short circuit in a charger sets the store on fire. Cables, switches and lights for three jobs are burnt. (€38,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €137,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Choose at least €5 million cover for injury and property damage; commercial and industrial clients often ask for €10 million.
- Have damage to the object you work on and damage to pipes and cables when drilling and chiselling expressly included.
- Solar panels, wall boxes, battery storage and smart home work must be named in the policy as activities if you offer them.
- Check the night-time clause in your tools in transit cover: many policies only pay between 22:00 and 06:00 with an excess or if the tools were in a locked box.
- Agree run-off cover if you close the business: fires from old installations can be reported years later.
- Include financial losses from network and data work as soon as you set up IT systems for customers.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Several insurers compared:** For electrical businesses, premiums for the same cover can differ by a factor of five. We obtain quotes from different insurers and compare the policy wording, not just the price.
- **First-hand claims knowledge:** In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including many electrical faults and fires on board. We know which documents an insurer wants to see after a cable fire.
- **Business and private in one place:** Vans, tools, liability and your personal cover sit with us in one file, with one contact person.
- **Free of charge for you:** As a broker we are paid by the insurer. You pay nothing extra for advice and comparison, and we have worked this way as a family business since 1989.

## FAQ

### Is liability insurance compulsory for electricians in Germany?

Not by law. But grid operators, property managers and main contractors regularly ask for proof, and without insurance a single fire claim can end your business.

### How much does liability insurance cost for an electrician?

For a one-person business with €50,000 turnover, published premiums range from about €100 to €500 a year. With employees and a higher turnover it quickly reaches €500 to €1,300.

### Are my tools insured in the company van?

Not under the motor policy, and business contents insurance usually only covers them on your premises. For tools on the road and on site you need tools in transit or tools insurance.

### Are solar installations and wall boxes covered automatically?

Not always. Some policies exclude work on roofs or energy systems or set their own limits. Tell us about these activities so they are written into the policy.

### Who pays if I drill into a water pipe?

Your liability policy, provided damage to pipes and cables is included. That is standard in good tradesman tariffs; budget tariffs sometimes set low limits.

### Are my employees insured after an electrical accident?

At work and on the way to and from work, BG ETEM pays as the statutory accident insurer. Group accident insurance is a good addition for leisure time and extra benefits.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-electrician.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.