# Insurance for landscaping and garden businesses in Germany

> In landscaping, stones fly from the brush cutter into car windows, trees do not always fall where planned, and the mini excavator finds the water pipe before the plan does. On top of that, mowers and machines stand on open plots. This page explains what your business needs and what it costs.

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

## Who pays if a stone thrown up while mowing smashes a car window?

Your public liability policy, because it is damage to someone else's property. It is one of the most common claims in landscaping. Make sure your policy does not have a high excess for such small claims, or you end up paying almost everything yourself. For the mower itself, if it is damaged or stolen, you need machinery insurance.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No statutory duty to insure the business; motor liability for vehicles and trailers, and faster self-propelled machines such as ride-on mowers or wheel loaders may also need their own liability cover depending on their design
- **Biggest risk:** Damage to third-party property from flying stones, tree felling and earthworks, and theft of machines
- **Basic cover from:** about €420 a year for public liability with €50,000 turnover
- **Statutory accident insurer:** SVLFG, the social insurance for agriculture, forestry and horticulture; membership is compulsory, including for business owners
- **Often forgotten:** Damage to plants and lawns from pesticides or fertilisers, and claims when new plantings die
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 81.30 Garten- und Landschaftsbau sowie Erbringung von sonstigen gärtnerischen Dienstleistungen

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Flying stones:** Brush cutters, leaf blowers and robot mowers throw stones at cars, windows and conservatories. Small claims, but very frequent.
- **Tree felling:** A tree falls onto the neighbour's roof, a fence or a power line. Rope access tree work and felling are among the most expensive risks in the sector.
- **Pipes and cables in the garden:** When digging for drainage, cisterns or lighting, the excavator hits water, power or gas lines.
- **Machinery theft:** Ride-on mowers, mini excavators, plate compactors and cordless tools often stand unsecured on sites or in trailers.
- **Pesticides and the environment:** Wrongly dosed products damage neighbouring gardens, waters or bee colonies.
- **Accidents with machines:** Chainsaws, shredders and slopes: cuts and overturning machines are common.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for stone chip, felling and pipe damage, including environmental risks and damage from pesticides. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Essential): Covers ride-on mowers, mini excavators and shredders against theft, overturning and operating errors, also on other people's land. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Car insurance** (Strongly advised): Vans, flatbeds and trailers need motor liability; comprehensive cover pays off for new vehicles. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces the yard, workshop, plant and material store after fire, burglary and storm. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Contractors all risks** (Depends on the business): Contract works insurance protects larger new installations such as ponds, walls and paved areas against heavy rain and vandalism until handover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-contractors-all-risks.php
- **Occupational disability** (Depends on the business): Back and joints take a lot of strain in landscaping; income protection secures your earnings. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Extra protection for employees and seasonal workers, also outside work. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php

## What it costs: example prices

Liability in landscaping sits in the middle of the building trades. It gets noticeably more expensive with tree felling, earthworks and a large machinery fleet.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | €50,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover, €250 excess | about €420 to €650 a year |
| Business liability | €200,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover | about €420 to €760 a year |
| Business liability | €500,000 turnover, €3 to €5 million cover | about €660 to €1,750 a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Ride-on mower, mini excavator and small equipment worth €80,000 | about €800 to €2,000 a year |

For comparison: Liability insurance for a small garden business costs about as much per year as five to six square metres of newly paved patio.

_Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. Liability comes from published tariff comparisons; machinery is a guide value from our quoting practice. Tree felling with rope access techniques can increase the premium. We obtain the exact quote for you._

- [betriebshaftpflicht24.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Gartenbau](https://www.betriebshaftpflicht24.de/betriebshaftpflicht-gartenbau.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (garden maintenance alone or with a helper): Business liability, Machinery breakdown. Together: about €800 to €1,600 a year
- **Specialist business** (three to ten employees, maintenance and new gardens): Business liability, Machinery breakdown, Car insurance, Business contents. Together: about €2,000 to €5,000 a year excluding motor
- **All round** (landscaping with earthworks, tree care and municipal contracts): Business liability, Machinery breakdown, Car insurance, Business contents, Contractors all risks, Group accident insurance. Together: about €4,500 to €10,000 a year excluding motor

## The worst day in landscaping

Six claims that really happen to landscapers, all on a single summer's day. Go through the day and see who pays.

- 06:30: The trailer with the ride-on mower and two brush cutters has vanished from the yard. (€19,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 08:45: While strimming by a car park, a stone flies into the rear window of an SUV. (€1,400, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:20: A felled birch twists and falls onto the neighbour's carport. (€14,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:40: While digging for a cistern, the mini excavator hits the water main. The cellar floods. (€11,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:30: The mini excavator tips over on a slope. Cab and hydraulics are damaged. (€16,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 16:50: Wind carries weedkiller onto the neighbour's vegetable beds. Crop and soil are affected. (€3,500, Paid by: Business liability)

**Damage so far:** €64,900

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have tree felling and rope access work expressly included if you offer them; they are not part of every tariff.
- Damage to pipes and cables during earthworks and environmental damage from pesticides should be covered without tight limits.
- Insure machines with theft cover on sites and in trailers too, not just in your yard.
- Choose a low excess for property damage, because flying stones cause many small claims.
- Check which ride-on mowers and wheel loaders need their own motor liability cover once they use public roads.
- Name winter gritting and snow clearing, pond building and green roofs if you provide them; they are risks of their own.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Machinery and liability aligned:** In landscaping, claims often fall between liability, machinery and motor cover. We compare several insurers and align the policies with each other.
- **We understand claims in practice:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, including theft of engines and trailers. We know which security measures the insurer will want to see later.
- **One contact person:** Yard, vehicles, machines and your private cover all come together with us.
- **There for family businesses since 1989:** We are one ourselves. The advice is free for you, because the insurer pays us.

## FAQ

### How much does liability insurance cost for landscapers?

Published tariff comparisons show about €420 to €650 a year at €50,000 turnover and about €660 to €1,750 at €500,000 turnover.

### Are stones thrown up while mowing covered?

Yes, under public liability. Choose a low excess, because many of these claims cost only a few hundred euros.

### Is tree felling covered automatically?

Not always. Felling, especially with rope access techniques or near buildings, must be named in the policy.

### Which statutory accident insurer covers landscaping?

The SVLFG, the social insurance for agriculture, forestry and horticulture. Unlike many other Berufsgenossenschaften, business owners themselves are compulsorily insured there too.

### Is my ride-on mower insured against theft?

Only through machinery insurance with theft cover. Contents insurance usually only applies inside a locked building.

### Do I need separate insurance for winter services?

Public liability can include it, but it has to do so expressly. If someone slips on paths you clear, you are often liable for the whole property.

## 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-landscaper.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.